On 29 April, the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Tunisian Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP) convened a full‑day activity dedicated to strengthening parliamentary integrity and exploring the development of a future code of conduct for members of parliament.
The activity brought together a diverse group of members of the Assembly and civil servants from its staff. The session was moderated by the vice-president of the ARP, and two Council of Europe experts contributed to a structured and constructive exchange throughout the day.
The programme focused on the Council of Europe’s toolkit for the drafting of parliamentary codes of conduct. Building on comparative experiences and international standards, participants discussed the relevance and added value of drafting and further adopting a code of conduct for the ARP elected members. The exchanges also touched upon procedural and regulatory considerations that would guide the drafting and adoption process.
Discussions were dynamic and forward‑looking, with some members of the Tunisian Assembly expressing interest in continuing the work in a more operational format. Several ARP members indicated their willingness to advance towards a draft code of conduct to be considered before the end of their mandates.
This activity represents an important step in the implementation of the project which has the ARP as a key beneficiary with which the Council of Europe has maintained sustained engagement. The renewed openness to dialogue provides an opportunity to deepen cooperation on integrity‑related reforms and to support the ARP in strengthening transparency and accountability within the parliamentary institution.
As a follow‑up, the project is exploring with the ARP the organisation of a hands‑on drafting workshop and a study visit to examine integrity practices in other Council of Europe member states’ parliaments.
This activity was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe’s Neighbourhood Partnership with Tunisia 2022–2025 and in collaboration with the joint European Union–Council of Europe project Improving Economic Governance for Anti-Corruption in Tunisia (AGELA), co-financed by both organisations and implemented by the Council of Europe.