Blogs

To address the growing concerns in the LAC region regarding citizen security, IRG is hosting a study mission for national legislators from Colombia, El Salvador and Panama for a two-week Latin American regional study mission in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, California, with a focus on increasing citizen security as a means to increase democratic political stability, strengthen the economy and increase regional trade.

On September 21, 2014, a group of five Georgian parliamentarians began their study visit to the United States, organized by the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the Institute for Representative Government (IRG).  The group included lawmakers from the Agrarian Affairs committee in parliament, including: Committee Chairman Gigla Agulashvili (Georgian Dream – Republicans), Revaz Shavlokashvili (Georgian Dream - Conservatives), Temuri Maisuradze (Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia), Omar Nishianidze (Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia), and Vaja Chitashvili (United National

From February 22 to March 2, 2014, the Institute for Representative Government (IRG), in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), organized a parliamentary exchange for 17 Members of Parliament from four Middle East and North African countries: Jordan, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia1. Women made up a majority of the delegation, and women’s political participation was an important theme throughout the program. Another overarching theme was how legislatures can support inclusive economic development.

While in Washington, the MPs met with a bipartisan group of members of Congress,

The International Republican Institute (IRI) brought eight members of Peru’s parliament, to the United States for a 13-day study mission.  The delegation visited Washington, DC, and Annapolis, MD to study how U.S. federal and state governments maintain high ethical standards, through legislative ethics frameworks and enforcement.  This study trip focused on best practices in developing and holding elected officials accountable for high ethical standards in public administration.

IRI has worked in Peru since 2001, and in 2008 began working directly with the Congress to improve transparency and

From June 9-17, 2013, the Institute for Representative Government (IRG), in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), organized a program for a delegation of six members of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Parliament) of Myanmar. The delegation was led by His Excellency the Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw (“House of Representatives”), U Shwe Mann, who was visiting the U.S. for the first time. There was substantial interest and significant press coverage of the delegation’s visit, given the U.S. interest in the Myanmar transition, the Speaker’s current coordination with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Speaker’s status as Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw, leader of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), and likely 2015 presidential candidate. Among others, the delegation met with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Dianne Feinstein, former Republican Presidential nominee Senator John McCain, Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns and senior White House staff.