“Let us recommit ourselves to building a Ghana where our Parliament is acclaimed as the most open, accountable and responsive in Africa.

“A Ghana where every citizen feels a genuine sense of ownership and belonging to the government. A Ghana where our democracy not only functions but also flourishes and is entrenched. A Ghana where every citizen feels a genuine sense of ownership and belonging to our democracy,” he stated.

Mr Bagbin was speaking at the commemoration of the International Day of Parliamentarism, which coincided with the inauguration of the Ghana Open Parliament Steering Committee and the launch of Ghana’s Open Parliament Action Plan last Monday.

The International Day of Parliamentarism is marked on June 30 globally under the auspices of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

He, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians to see Parliament as their home and use the opportunities being created to engage their Members of Parliament (MPs) and use the Right to Information Law to demand transparency, stressing that the success of open governance depended on their active participation.

On the celebration, he said it had affirmed the citizenry’s collective commitment to strengthening the pillars of openness, accountability and public trust in our democracy.

“To every Member of Parliament, let the spirit of openness inspire all your work. And to every Ghanaian: this is your Parliament, this is your home,” he stated.

He reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to transparency, inclusive governance and gender equity.

He described the celebration as both an opportunity for reflection and a recommitment to parliamentary ideals.

“Our 32-year democratic journey under the Fourth Republic has made great strides in institutionalising governance, inclusivity and public accountability,” he stated.

Highlighting the significance of the triple launch, Mr Bagbin said the synchronisation of the three events was “timely and strategic”, aligning with Ghana’s commitments under the Open Government Partnership (OGP).

He explained that the newly launched Open Parliament Action Plan was anchored on four key pillars: transparency, accountability, citizen participation and innovation. “The plan aims to address challenges such as limited public access to legislative processes, low youth and gender inclusion and perceptions of Parliament’s inaccessibility,” he noted.

Mr Bagbin acknowledged Ghana’s consistent peaceful transitions of power, the enactment of key legislation such as the Right to Information Act and the growing use of oversight mechanisms.

He, however, noted that progress in gender representation remained sluggish, citing Ghana’s global ranking of 137th out of 168 countries in women’s representation in Parliament as “a sobering reality.”

He emphasised the importance of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), which introduced a phased quota system for women across sectors.

“Parliament must lead by example. Political parties must comply with the law and we must ensure its effective enforcement,” he stressed.

Mr Bagbin called for the institutional strengthening of the Women’s Caucus, including a dedicated budget and greater input in legislative planning.

He also called for the launch of a nationwide civic education campaign to promote women’s political participation.

“The Citizens’ Bureau Office under the Open Government Partnership offers a perfect platform for fostering transparency and sustained engagement between Parliament and the people,” he said.