Taiwan's watchdog looks outward
Citizen Congress Watch at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, and an online exchange with parliament watchdogs from Latin America, Africa and Europe.
A forum, and a small grant
The Parliamentary Openness and Monitoring Forum, with NDI and WFD. Then a Taiwan Foundation for Democracy grant to build an Asian network, with calls to Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
First, survey your own parliament
James Kan proposed that every group answer the same questions about its own parliament. The reply came in one line.
The first workshop
Eight countries, one scholar and one practitioner each, with Argentina advising. Latin America's network as the model, and a first draft of governing rules. Keep scrolling to see who flew in.
A plan: survey in 2025, report in 2026
The National Democratic Institute backed a program based in Taiwan. A second workshop in Taipei set the framework, and monthly online sessions began.
The funding stops. The network does not.
A US executive order ended the program. On 27 March the partners met anyway and chose to continue on small grants and their own money.
One dimension a month
Four dimensions built in four monthly sessions. Hover a block to see what it covers.
Fourteen groups, nine countries, two days
In the Diet members' office building, line by line, the first complete draft. Civil society leads, academia assists. Hover a name to find its city.
A Leading Committee, and by-laws
Scholars in four countries reviewed the draft. On 20 November the members elected four organizations to lead.
Three dimensions, and a new name
Legal framework folded into the other three. Transparency became Openness: APTI became APOI. Click the word to replay.
68 → 31 → 32
After the pilot, a proposal to cut the index by half and drop data formats. The network pushed back. Try the three versions.
The first results
Ten assessments, public evidence only, each country scoring its own parliament. Launched at the Thai Parliament.