Page 218 - BUKU STRENGTHENING THE INDONESIAN PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY FADLI ZON

As the elected representatives of their people, Parliamentarians have a crucial role to play in
driving forward people-centered development that is reflective and responsive to the needs of
their constituents. For the people and related stakeholders within their respective countries,
Parliamentarians are valuable partners in ensuring accountable, inclusive, participatory and
transparent sustainable development. They can assure the implementation of the SDGs through
their constitutional mandates:

First – Law-Making and Law Reform Parliaments are the ones who can facilitate the SDGs
implementation by adopting the global agenda into national action, and support the enactment
of legislation which accommodates SDGs values.

Second – Representation More than almost any other state official, Parliamentarians have a direct
relationship to the public. They engage and facilitate public participation, so that every citizen
is empowered to demand action and provide feedback on SDGs implementation.

Third – Oversight Parliaments have sufficient power and tools to assure that development aid
and other national resources are managed effectively and with integrity.

Fourth – Budgeting The arguably most important role is that Parliamentarians are responsible
to scrutinize and adopt the national budget. Thus, they could promote effective, efficient,
transparent and accountable SDGs implementation.

Concerning those pivotal roles, GOPAC believes that Parliaments must continue to be
strategically empowered, actively engaged and sufficiently equipped to help mobilize domestic
resources on achieving the SDGs targets. Therefore, in 2015, GOPAC started a project called
“Strengthening the Role of Parliamentarians in Monitoring the Implementation of SDGs,”
in cooperation with our partners – the UN Development Program (UNDP), and Islamic
Development Bank (IsDB).

Through this project, we are developing this Parliamentary Handbook on SDGs as guidance for
Parliamentarians to successfully implement the SDGs, especially by monitoring the effectiveness
of any development assistance. This handbook is designed to be an easy-to-use resource, which
lists good practices and tools from around the world that can be adapted as needed, depending
on the national context

This handbook and the whole project would not be complete without the invaluable support
and contributions our distinguished partners, the UNDP and Islamic Development Bank.
Hence on this occasion, allow me to express my sincerest gratitude and the highest appreciation
to them.

Selected Speeches of the Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia I 205