Project background and goals

Since 2006 the NorthSouthDialogue of Parliaments (PNSD) has been involved in long-term partnerships between the Austrian Parliament and one parliament in Southern Africa. After years of collaboration with the Assembleia da República de Moçambique (2006-2016) and the Portuguese Parliament (2012-2016), a new cooperation with the National Assembly of Zambia has begun in January 2017.

The PNSD is being funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) since the beginning. ADC focuses on supporting national parliaments in their functions as supervisory and control bodies and as democratic institutions, which should be transparent, representative, accessible, effective and accountable. Objectives are a.o. the support of democratic governance and parliamentary reforms as a political framework for poverty-oriented development.

The NorthSouthDialogue of Parliaments contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in particular the SGD 4 (inclusive, equal and high-quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all). The parliamentary partnerships make it possible to establish new forms of cooperation between Europe and the neighboring continent of Africa.

In addition to the 2030 Agenda, the EU Consensus on Development "Our World, our Dignity, our Future", signed in June 2017, is also an important reference framework.