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The paradox of our times is that we hail the victory of democracy while lamenting the fact that in many countries parliament - the central institution of democracy - is facing a crisis of legitimacy. The executive branch dominates the agenda, international cooperation and globalisation have led to decision making that lacks democratic control, and people question whether current political processes are really able to produce parliaments that can represent their interests in all their diversity.

So what do we really mean by a democratic parliament? This guide answers the question with five key characteristics which every parliament should have. They should be representative, transparent, accessible, accountable and effective. It proceeds to give examples of how parliaments, in very concrete terms, fulfil those characteristics.

It is very clear that parliaments need to be prepared to do some soul-searching to identify what they are doing well. Many of them are already doing so, a fact to which this guide amply testifies. That process also involves determining where they are not successfully meeting the challenges of the age and where they can draw inspiration from the good practices of other parliaments. Collectively, their response will largely determine the extent to which the institution of parliament continues to be relevant in the coming years.

I hope therefore that parliaments and all those who are involved, from near and afar, in parliamentary reform will put this modest first guide on the subject of democratic parliaments to good use. The stakes are indeed high: they concern no less than the quality of democracy in the twenty-first century.

Today, more than ever, promoting democracy is at the core of the Inter-Parliamentary Union's mandate. Gradually, democracy has come to be recognized as a universal value which does not belong to any country or region.

The IPU promotes democracy in a variety of ways, ranging from its political pronouncements - most notably the 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy - to its programmes to strengthen parliamentary institutions, protect and promote human rights and build partnership between men and women in politics. Underpinning the work of the IPU is the simple idea that a strong parliament is a vital sign of a healthy democracy. In September 2005, the Speakers of Parliament who came to United Nations Headquarters from every corner of the globe stated unequivocally that within a democracy, ‘Parliament is the central institution through which the will of the people is expressed, laws are passed and government is held to account’.

The IPU continues to explore and strengthen the relationship between parliament and democracy. This guide is an ambitious attempt to identify the core values of a democratic parliament. The guide also describes how parliaments are putting these values into practice, as they adapt to the challenges of the twenty-first century.

What is striking is the sense of the common challenges facing parliaments. These include the changing relationships that parliament maintains with the public, the media, the executive branch and the international organizations. Similarly, the representation of all parts of society, men and women, minorities and marginalized groups is also evolving. Effective representation implies articulating and mediating between the competing interests of these groups and guaranteeing equal rights for all parliamentarians, particularly those belonging to the opposition.

The imagination and creativity in the practices of different parliaments are evident in this study, which testifies to the vitality of the institution across the world. It is hoped that the democratic practices outlined in these pages will inspire similar, or better, practices throughout the global parliamentary community.

This guide does not rank national parliaments or attempt to measure the quality of their democracy. However, it is an invitation to all to participate in an open debate on what it means to be a democratic parliament, and how each parliament can put into practice the democratic values described in the guide. I hope that, with the help of parliaments and the IPU, this debate will gain momentum in the years to come and bring us closer to the day when each parliament can truly be held to account for its democratic nature.

I would like to express gratitude to Professor David Beetham for his brilliant and tireless work as author of this guide and as rapporteur of the Working Group set up to oversee its production. My heartfelt thanks go to all the members of the Working Group, whose input was always stimulating; and to all the parliaments that contributed material by offering examples of their practices. Finally, I would like to thank the Swedish International Development Agency and the United Nations Development Programme for their generous funding of this project and their commitment to supporting the development of parliamentary institutions worldwide.

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