UNDP-POGAR - Programme on Governance in the Arab Region
Building Capacities of Parliamentary Institutions and Promotion of Citizen's Participation in the Arab Countries and Middle East

Introduction

The project is funded by the Italian government and is implemented by UNDP's Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (POGAR) and the Institute for Relations between Italy and Africa, Latin America and the Middle and Far East (IPALMO).

The objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of Parliament in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon in relation to its role in fighting corruption, promoting decentralization and in improving its representative function.

The project aims at building knowledge of these issues and at promoting networking and exchange of experiences among the parliaments of the participating countries.

The project consists of several components:

• research studies on the representative function of parliament in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Italy, the role of parliament in promoting decentralization and in fighting corruption,
• two regional workshops, and
• of a study tour to Italy by a number of MPs from the participating Arab countries.