In recent years, we have actively shared our experiences in parliamentary oversight with civil society organizations worldwide, positioning Taiwan as a leader in promoting democracy in Asia.
In 2023, the Parliamentary Openness and Oversight Forum was co-hosted by the Citizen Congress Watch (CCW), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD). The event brought together eleven parliamentary oversight organizations from around the world to jointly sign an Action Declaration, calling for legislative bodies to publicly disclose meeting records, voting records, and legislative drafts, while also actively promoting citizen participation and public engagement. By fostering deeper international cooperation between Taiwan and like-minded democratic partners, we aim to collectively address the democratic crisis in Asia and beyond.
Partnership with Perennial Opposition, Japan (“PO”)
On June 19th, 2023, representatives of Citizen Congress Watch, Taiwan (“CCW”) and Perennial Opposition, Japan (“PO”) met in Taipei to discuss mutual cooperation and the action toward creating an Asian cooperation network on parliamentary monitoring.
As parliamentary monitoring organizations (“PMOs”), both have been engaged in evaluating parliament members’ activities since 2007 for CCW and 2013 for PO. Based on our experiences, we share our firm belief that a reliable parliament is the essential element of democracy and that PMOs can play a crucial role in maintaining and improving the function of parliaments. We recognize that, while both Taiwan and Japan are well-developed democratic societies, we still need to strengthen our parliamentary monitoring activities to achieve further better democracy. We also share the view that the importance of PMOs has been increasing significantly globally, especially as many countries face the threat of democratic regression.
For deeper mutual understanding, we hold online workshops to exchange more detailed information regarding each organization’s parliamentary monitoring activities to improve our evaluation method and process further. We also send delegations to join the commendation ceremony” of selected members of parliament in Japan and Taiwan.
Partnership with WeVis, Thailand
In response to the expansion of authoritarianism, the Citizen Congress Watch (CCW) and Thailand's parliament monitoring organization, WeVis, have joined forces to promote parliamentary transparency reforms in Asia and strengthen regional democratic resilience.
At the end of November 2024, both organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Bangkok, Thailand, committing to establishing an Asian Parliamentary Monitoring Network. Through this agreement, both parties pledged to:
1. Collaborate with other Parliamentary Monitoring Organizations (PMOs) across Asia and international NGOs to establish a regional framework for parliamentary oversight.
2. Develop an Asian Parliamentary Transparency Index and conduct regular assessments to enhance the transparency and openness of parliaments across the region.
We aim to advance parliamentary transparency and accountability reforms throughout Asia by fostering continuous collaboration and networking.
Partnership with Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), the Philippines
In February 2025, representatives of Citizen Congress Watch, Taiwan (“CCW”) and Legal Network for Truthful Elections (“LENTE”), the Philippines convened in Manila to formalize mutual cooperation and advance collective action toward establishing an Asian network for parliamentary monitoring.
As parliamentary monitoring organizations (“PMOs”), we hold a shared conviction that a trustworthy and transparent parliament is the foundation of any healthy democracy. We recognize PMOs' pivotal role in supporting and enhancing parliamentary functions through independent oversight, citizen engagement, and accountability initiatives. Although Taiwan and the Philippines operate within distinct political contexts, we find a common purpose in strengthening our respective parliamentary monitoring efforts to advance democratic integrity.
Both organizations agree to engage with other Asian PMOs and collaborate with international NGOs and initiatives to establish a regional parliamentary monitoring network. Also creating a set of Asian Parliamentary Transparency Indicators and carrying out periodic assessments to enhance openness and accountability in legislatures across Asia.
