Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has engaged civil society organisations (CSOs) and think tanks to strengthen collaboration and enhance transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.
Addressing a forum of about 50 CSOs, Speaker Bagbin emphasized the need for a governance model that extends beyond traditional democracy, advocating inclusivity and participatory governance with civil society as a key pillar. He highlighted the crucial role of CSOs in strengthening democracy by providing research and data to inform policymaking.
Citing parliamentary initiatives such as anti-corruption efforts and local government reforms, he acknowledged the contributions of civil society and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Caucus in championing open governance. He noted that Ghana’s top ranking in the 2022 Africa Open Parliament Index reflects Parliament’s commitment to democratic reforms through ongoing partnerships with civil society.
The Speaker also called for stronger gender equity initiatives in governance and urged support for the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121). Commending CSOs for their role in making Parliament one of the most open institutions in Africa, he presented copies of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament to support their oversight efforts.
Parliamentarians in attendance included Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Emmanuel Akwasi Acquah, Agyeman Prempeh, and Abednego Bandim, along with key parliamentary officials.
Participating CSOs included IMANI Africa, Ghana Integrity Initiative, CDD-Ghana, Parliamentary Network Africa, IDEG, Star Ghana, ACEPA, the Media Foundation for West Africa, the Gender Center for Empowering Development, CAMFED, the Legal Resource Centre, and Youth Advocate Ghana.
