Second MIKTA Speakers’ Consultation – Open Parliaments for Open Government (Hobart, October 6, 2016)

2^nd MIKTA Speakers’ Consultation

Open Parliaments for Open Government

The Speakers of the parliaments of MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Turkey, and Australia) met in Hobart, Australia on 6 October 2016 for the second MIKTA Speakers’ Consultation.

The theme of the consultation – “Open Parliaments for Open Government” – generated a broad-ranging discussion of the challenges, solutions and benefits of maintaining open parliaments in an age of accelerating change.

MIKTA, which was formed in 2013 as a new mechanism for cross-regional partnership, provides a sounding board for new ideas, and a platform for the exchange of information and potential responses to rapid global change.  The countries of MIKTA draw on their diverse experience to promote models of global governance that work for the benefit of all. The MIKTA countries are significant economic powers: they are the 12^th, 13^th, 15^th, 16^th and 18^th largest economies in the world and play pivotal strategic roles in their regions.

In this Second MIKTA Speakers’ Consultation, the Speakers drew on their varied historical experience and parliamentary architecture to consider responses to the common challenges they experience in promoting open parliaments.  They considered the challenge of maintaining open parliaments while protecting the security of visitors and all who work within parliaments and highlighted the opportunities for the adoption and integration of new technologies to improve citizen access and participation. They also explored issues of accountability and the independence of parliaments.

The consultation proved an invaluable opportunity to discuss opportunities for further collaboration.  Speakers agreed to work together in advance of their next meeting to develop strategies to enhance openness and participation in Parliament. They agreed to explore options for the use of new technologies, the provision of support to members, and the adoption of security procedures that promote openness and participation while protecting the security of all who work within parliament.  The MIKTA Speakers look forward to continuing the consultation process which will be hosted by Turkey in 2017.

The Speakers received a briefing on activities under MIKTA’s core priorities and reinforced the importance of MIKTA’s work on global security and counter-terrorism, noting that regional and international security issues have an impact on the work of parliaments.  They received a briefing from Turkey on the 15 July 2016 coup-attempt and expressed their firm support for Turkey’s democratically elected government and its democratic system and institutions. They recalled the 22 September 2016 joint statement by MIKTA foreign ministers condemning nuclear tests by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and urging it to comply fully with its international obligations, including United Nations Security Council Resolutions.  They discussed at length the challenge to open parliaments posed by the global terrorist threat.

MIKTA Speakers will continue to build the MIKTA parliamentary network by holding meetings of parliamentarians on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union assemblies.

The Speakers shared the understanding that the MIKTA countries enhance the capacity of their legislative staff and nurture professionals specialised in providing support to legislators by sharing best practices through exchange programs among the legislative support units of the MIKTA parliaments.

The MIKTA Speakers thank the Australian Presiding Officers, Senator the Hon Stephen Parry, President of the Australian Senate, and the Hon Tony Smith MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives, for hosting the Speakers’ Consultation in Hobart, Australia.