Novi Sad, 27.02.2020. – The conference "E-Parliament: Digitization in the service of strengthening local democracy" announced the launch of the e-parliament system in the Assembly of AP Vojvodina, funded by the Swiss Government and implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

The conference was attended by the President of the Assembly of Vojvodina, Istvan Pastor, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, Provincial Prime Minister Igor Mirovic, Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Philippe Gérald Guex and UNDP Resident Representative Francine Pickup.

“Of all the public institutions, the Parliaments enjoy particular legitimacy, as they are directly elected and represented by the people”, said Philippe Gérald Guex, Swiss Ambassador to Serbia.

“Switzerland is very committed to promoting democratic institutions through its development cooperation, given its longstanding experience in decentralised governance and democracy. We hope that the Assembly of Vojvodina, through an innovative approach, takes the lead in making stronger bonds with its citizens and actively involves them in decision-making.”

To be able to do their important work, parliaments must keep up with the development of technology and communication, and use new, digital tools, said Francine Pickup UNDP Resident Representative in Serbia.

“Digitalization is an important driver for achievement of all Sustainable Development Goals. With the Swiss Government support, UNDP brings new technologies to parliaments, that make the work of the assemblies more efficient and transparent and help establish a two-way communication with citizens.”

The e-parliament platform will increase the transparency and accountability of the Assembly of Vojvodina, as all decisions of the Assembly will be available to the public and media shortly after the sessions. It will also bring significant savings, as the documents are available for Members of Parliament all the time and do not need to be printed anymore. The e-parliament platform for the parliament of Vojvodina is customized for use in all 6 official languages in the Province.

The e-parliament platform is provided through the “Strengthening the Oversight Role and Transparency of the Parliament” project, implemented by UNDP and funded by the Government of Switzerland. The project focuses on political dialogue, transparency and gender equality.