A new set of resources aimed at supporting parliaments to engage members of the public in their work has been launched by IPEN in partnership with INTER PARES.
To coincide with International Parliamentarism Day, a Guide on Principles of Parliamentary Public Engagement was published on 30 June.
A must-read for policymakers, parliamentary staff and civil society organizations committed to inclusive governance, the guide is packed with practical insights and examples to help strengthen parliaments’ links with citizens.
Identifying eight parliamentary public engagement principles, Principles of Parliamentary Public Engagement showcases examples from a wide range of countries and political systems – with different levels of resources, including older, newer, larger and smaller parliaments – to illustrate each one.
This publication is the first in a new eight part series of Guides on Citizen Engagement for Parliaments which focus on a range of public engagement topics to help build parliaments’ capacity to engage members of the public in their work.
The series has been created through a project collaboration between the International Parliament Engagement Network (IPEN) and INTER PARES. They are produced with the financial support of the European Union as part of the iNTER PARES I Parliaments in Partnership project, implemented by International IDEA.
The Guides have been developed by Cristina Leston-Bandeira (Professor of Politics at the University of Leeds and Chair of IPEN) and Juliet Ollard, (Senior Research and Engagement Officer, IPEN) in partnership with INTER PARES.
The project team have drawn from extensive academic research and parliamentary practice from across the world – including many interviews with parliamentary officials and academics, and the expert advice of our International Advisory Group and the IPEN Executive Team.
Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira said of the Guide on Principles of Parliamentary Public Engagement :
“There is an increasing understanding among parliaments that their relationship with citizens needs to go beyond the ballot box. With trust in institutional politics declining around the world, public engagement is an essential tool for safeguarding parliamentary democracy into the future.
“Public engagement includes many different types of activities, from education about parliamentary processes to participation in parliamentary business. In this Guide, we take a step back and consider the core principles that should drive public engagement activities in general.
“The creation of these eight core principles are very much the result of collaboration with lots of people, including those who participated in a workshop we organised last October.
“Alongside IPEN’s Executive Team, an Advisory Group of parliamentary officials and other experts from around the world have been providing feedback, input and challenge throughout the development of the guides.”
Alisson Bruno Dias de Queiroz (Coordinator or the e-Cidadania program, Federal Senate of Brazil and IPEN Executive Team member) said:
“The Citizen Engagement Guides offer fresh and practical insights that I can’t wait to share with my team at the Brazilian Senate.
“They are a powerful tool to rethink how we connect people to the legislative process.”
All eight guides will be hosted on the INTER PARES website where a new landing page presents each one alongside more information about the series.
The Guide on Principles of Parliamentary Public Engagement is now available to read and download on the INTERPARES website, in addition to a Guide on Petitions and Citizens’ Initiatives.
The remaining guides will be published over the coming months – look out for further announcements here on the IPEN website and on the LinkedIn pages for INTER PARES and the International Parliament Engagement Network.
You can also find links to the Guides via the resources tab on the IPEN website.
More information
The Guides on Citizen Engagement for Parliaments are produced with the financial support of the European Union as part of the Inter Pares I Parliaments in Partnership project, implemented by International IDEA. Its contents are the sole responsibility of International IDEA and the International Parliament Engagement Network (IPEN) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Find out more about the eight Guides on Citizen Engagement for Parliaments.
Images
1, 2 & 3: Designs by Research Retold.
4: Photo of Alisson Bruno (credit: Senado Federal do Brasil). Image design by INTER PARES.
Article published on 7 August 2025.