CPC-Workshop A - Remaining Relevant in Response to a Pandemic: The Role and Responsibilities of Parliament (Talkshow) - Host Topic
Emergency situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, often see the Executive Branch acting quickly to handle the situation. However, in some cases, emergencies can also provide an opportunity for the Executive to consolidate power, precisely at a time when parliamentary oversight and scrutiny are most needed. Such consolidation of power is often described as “executive overreach” and can represent a serious threat to the role of Parliament. Therefore, this session will look at the role of Parliaments in holding the Executive to account during trying times and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This session will look to emphasize the particular and enduring importance of Parliament in times of crises and when providing oversight of emergency responses, whilst also assessing the need for Parliaments to undergo urgent modernization to better equip themselves in responding to crises. Participants will be provided with the opportunity to identify best practices that can be explored and possibly adapted and adopted by their Parliaments to help them remain relevant and function effectively in response to and after a pandemic or other crisis.
The Workshop will comprise of panel discussion with a Q&A following each panellist's presentation, and an open floor discussion to conclude the session.
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