Alban Sumana Kingsford BagbinThe Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has called for a permanent partnership between Parliament, academia and civil society organisations to strengthen evidence-based lawmaking, enhance public accountability and improve democratic governance in the country. He observed that while Parliament, universities and civil society organisations all contribute to national development, opportunities for sustained collaboration had been limited over the years. “We seek to nurture an enduring partnership in which rigorous research informs legislative decision-making, while civil society enriches parliamentary deliberations with practical experience,” he stated. He urged academic institutions and civil society organisations to continue producing objective, policy-relevant research that would strengthen parliamentary debates and improve decision-making. He directed Parliament’s administrative departments to ensure the Citizens Bureau functions as the central repository of parliamentary information, enabling citizens, researchers and civil society organisations to access information on parliamentary proceedings more easily.