TA K I N G AC T IO N !
TAKING ACTION! Parliaments have a responsibility to enact rules, practices and procedures to mitigate the risks of harassment. The decision to introduce an anti-harassment policy to help establish a parliament that is harassment-free should be a choice that is made and led by the parliament with the input of key stakeholders. However, parliaments should always remain proactive and actively put measures in place to remove the presence of harassment and should not wait until a problem arises to develop or update their respective policy. Parliaments must therefore clearly establish who will be responsible for leading the work needed to develop the policy, how the work will be done, and of equal importance, who should be consulted.
RESPONSIBILITY It is important to recognise that the answer to the question of responsibility is largely dependent on the size and resource available within a parliament. Therefore, the answer will differ across legislatures. Irrespective of this, it is highly advised that a department, group or individual in a position to assist with the administrative and operational functioning of parliament, employee relations and the welfare of all individuals should oversee the development of the policy, as they will most likely be involved in its implementation.
ETHICAL GOVERNANCE Developed to provide parliaments with a framework for excellence in Commonwealth parliamentary and legislative practice, the CPA Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures9 encourages both legislatures and legislators to adhere to ethical principles such as transparency, integrity, respect and accountability. Benchmark 11.1 on Transparency and Integrity states ‘Legislators should maintain high standards of accountability, transparency, responsibility and propriety in the conduct of all public and parliamentary matters including strict adherence to codes of conduct, and interest disclosure rules.’ Concerning legislatures, the Benchmark asserts that ‘The Legislature shall approve and enforce codes of conduct, including rules on conflicts of interest and the acceptance of gifts’ and stipulates that ‘There shall be mechanisms to prevent, detect, and bring to justice legislators and staff engaged in corrupt practices.’ Parliaments are encouraged to access the CPA Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures to obtain a standard and a guide on how a parliament should be constituted and how it should function.
Persons could include, but are not limited to: • The Speaker; • The Clerk of Parliament; • Human Resources Department; • Parliamentary Service Commission or equivalent body responsible for the operational functions of parliament.
9. http://www.cpahq.org/cpahq/Main/CPA_Benchmarks/Main/Programmes/Benchmarks_for_democratic_Legislatures.aspx?hkey=31ea0d53-cc00-4f78-b77b-9cbd212c6080
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