In the course of the Union's mission to promote representative democracy, the Technical Cooperation Programme devotes considerable time and effort to helping to foster effective democracy at the national level through practical programmes and activities, including technical assistance and institution building for national parliaments. In cooperation with its member parliaments, UN agencies, the EU and other partners, the Union places particular emphasis on providing support for improving the capabilities, infrastructure and technical facilities of national parliaments with a view to enabling them to fulfill their constitutional role more effectively. The following is a rundown of the Union's work in these areas over the past several months.

Constitutional Loya Jirga site in Kaboul: cradle of Afghanistan's new constitution.

Constitution-making in Afghanistan
The IPU fielded an exploratory mission in October with a view to supporting the process of drafting a new Constitution for Afghanistan and preparing for the establishment of a new parliament. Following the mission, the IPU is providing advisory and documentary support to the UN team responsible for backstopping the constitutional Loya Jirga scheduled for December 2003.

Making new information and communication technologies work for Parliament in Albania
The IPU is implementing, in co-operation with UNDP, a project aimed at improving the expertise and skills of MPs and parliamentary staff, promoting the use of new information and communication technologies to forge stronger links between the Parliament and the electorate, and developing the library, documentation and archives facilities. Recently, the IPU fielded an expert mission to help streamline the documentation and information functions of the parliament. In November it organised a seminar to strengthen the oversight role of the parliament.

Modernizing Parliament in Equatorial Guinea
The IPU is working with the European Commission and the Chamber of People's Representatives (CRP) in support of the latter's efforts to modernise its working methods. Recently, the IPU fielded an expert to Malabo to advise the Parliament on the reform of its rules of procedure. It is also setting up a training programme for parliamentary staff to enable them to record the proceedings of Parliament in order to build its institutional memory.

Supporting the international relations function of the new Parliament of Timor Leste
The IPU, in co-operation with UNDP, is now working on a project to support the Parliament. This project is designed to provide assistance to the women's parliamentary caucus, develop the international relations and protocol activities of the Parliament, and consolidate its role in the budget process. Experts are being made available to the Parliament to provide advisory services in these areas. During November and December 2003 an expert in international relations and protocol spent four weeks in Dili training parliamentary staff and members of the State Protocol office, and assisting with the drafting of the ceremonial, protocol and precedence rules.

Making technology work for the Assembly of Kosovo
The IPU and UNDP are currently assisting the Assembly of Kosovo in establishing an electronic archives system and a document management system that will open the proceedings of the Assembly to the public, thereby making the Assembly more transparent and accountable to the people.

Needs assessment missions in Sri Lanka and Pakistan
The IPU has been keen to support important developments in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In Sri Lanka the Parliament is called upon to play a key role in the reconciliation process. Pakistan's parliament has been recently restored after a three-year hiatus. During 2003 the IPU fielded needs assessment missions to carry out a comprehensive review of the functioning of these parliaments, identifying their needs in addressing key problems impeding their functioning. The reports of both missions are being discussed with the United Nations Development Programme and the two Parliaments. Multi-year projects will be developed and implemented to respond to the needs identified.