International Programs

Algeria
In late October and November a twelve-member delegation of parliamentarians from both chambers in Algeria visited the U.S. for a two-week study tour.  The visit exposed the MPs to the U.S. electoral process, election and legislative communications, constituent outreach, and American-style campaigning.  The delegation visited Washington, DC; Annapolis, Maryland; and Dover, Delaware. 

Anglophone Africa
Through several State Department- and USAID-sponsored projects aimed at strengthening the legislative institution in the Anglophone African countries of Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, NCSL has undertaken many activities in these countries, including workshops, study tours, and internships.  In September/October 2006, NCSL organized a week-long Study Tour program for members and staff from the Oyo State House of Assembly in Nigeria.  The delegation visited the Virginia General Assembly and Washington, D.C. to learn about legislative oversight, ethics, and budgeting.  Other projects in Anglophone Africa.

Francophone Africa
NCSL has conducted a number of parliamentary staff training programs in the National Assemblies of countries like Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, and Senegal.  All programs have been funded by the U.S. State Department or USAID.  Most recently, NCSL has worked to establish and assist the Réseau Africain des Personnels des Parlements (African Network of Parliamentary Staff, or RAPP).  In Fall 2006, NCSL published the final issue of the RAPP newsletter (Actualités du RAPP) as RAPP has discontinued this publication in favor of a journal to be developed and published in Africa.  This development represents a positive step in RAPP’s evolution and self-sufficiency.   Other projects in Francophone Africa.

Ghana
NCSL was awarded a U.S. Government grant to conduct a two-week parliamentary staff training program for clerks of the Ghanaian National Assembly. The study tour focused on the role of staff in post-election transition and new member education. Other projects in Ghana

Kenya
This study tour of state capitols was organized for members of the Kenya National Parliament and funded by USAID. The objectives of the study tour were to provide an opportunity for the members of Parliament to observe how a multi-party democratic system functions and to expose them to various legislative systems within the United States. Other projects in Kenya

Middle East
In 2004, NCSL expanded its activities into Northern Africa and the Middle East.  With the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), NCSL is undertaking a multi-faceted legislative exchange program for staff and members of the Moroccan, Tunisian, Algerian and Lebanese parliaments, entitled Parliamentary Staff Training and Technical Assistance in North Africa and Lebanon.  In late October and November 2006 a twelve-member delegation of parliamentarians from both chambers in Algeria visited the U.S. for a two-week study tour.  The visit exposed the MPs to the U.S. electoral process, election and legislative communications, constituent outreach, and American-style campaigning.  The delegation visited Washington, DC; Annapolis, Maryland; and Dover, Delaware. 

Namibia
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) awarded NCSL a USAID-funded subcontract from to provide a parliamentary training program for the Namibian National Assembly. The goal of the project was to organize workshops addressing legislative matters such as research, bill analyses, committee staffing, and the role of legislative clerks. Other projects in Namibia

South Africa
USIA and the United Nations (UN) have asked NCSL to conduct several projects in South Africa centered on federalism and intergovernmental relations, including workshops in the Provincial and National legislatures in South Africa. NCSL organized a study tour for the Speakers of each of the nine provincial legislatures of several U.S. states. Also, through NDI and funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), NCSL sent a senior-level staff member to South Africa to discuss the development of the South African National Inter-Parliamentary Services (NiPS), a counterpart to NCSL.

Europe & Eurasia

European Union
NCSL received a grant from the Delegation of the European Commission of the EU to undertake a year-long multi-faceted legislative exchange and education program for members of the U.S. state legislatures, aimed at promoting a greater understanding and knowledge of the European Union and its international role.  The key activity of the program will be a European study tour to Brussels, Belgium; Dublin, Ireland; and Ljubljana, Slovenia; planned for October 2007.  The goals of this project include promoting the knowledge of structures and goals of the European Union; learning about integration structures, including fiscal devolution; discussing EU policies on migration and immigration, as well as coordination between the EU and its members states on subsidiarity; and strengthening the ties between U.S. and European legislators and enhancing the relationship at the local levels of government.

Georgia
This U.S. Government sponsored grant included a study tour of the United States for a delegation from the Republic of Georgia. The theme of the program was the development of the legislative institution and economic development.

Germany
In conjunction with the Partnership of Parliaments (PoP), a counterpart organization in Germany, NCSL has had an eighteen-year bi-lateral exchange for U.S. state and German Länder legislators.  Themes for these study tours have included federalism, education, school-to-work transition, transportation, the environment, trade and economic development, and immigration.

Italy
This program involved an Italian study tour of the U.S. for regional assemblymen and follow-up meetings by U.S. state legislators and legislative staff in Italy. The project focused on establishing lines of communication between U.S. and Italian subnational legislative bodies and addressed issues of federalism and intergovernmental relations. Other projects in Italy

Poland
A delegation of Polish legislators, federal, state and local government officials visited several states to examine intergovernmental affairs and federalism in the U.S.

Russia
NCSL has conducted workshops and study tours for Russian legislators and staff to focus on federalism, legislative management, parliamentary procedure, and policy issues such as taxing, economic development, and budgetary procedures.  In December, NCSL and the American Councils for International Education welcomed a second group of Russian fellows under the Legislative Education and Practice Follow-on Program (LEAP), sponsored by the U.S. State Department.  The program provides Russian interns with an opportunity to intern at U.S. State Capitols, where they will gain firsthand experience of state-level government operations and increase their understanding of federalism and democracy.  Other projects in Russia

South Asia, East Asia & Pacific

China
Through the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), NCSL has sent delegations to China to study the legislative institution and government structure.  The delegations have discussed public policy issues such as economic development and trade, education, and welfare.

Hong Kong
NCSL, with a grant from the United States Information Agency, coordinated a legislative staff exchange program with the Legislative Council of the Special Autonomous Region of Hong Kong. The Study Tour of the U.S. and Professional Dialogue in Hong Kong created the opportunity for legislative staff with similar responsibilities to compare experiences.

India
NCSL has sent study tour delegations to India to discuss matters of federalism, state-federal relations, strengthening state legislatures, and the importance of legislative institution building.  Most recently, NCSL received a grant from the U.S. State Department to carry out a legislative exchange program with three Indian states, aimed at strengthening India's democratic institutions through increased transparency and accountability, better governance practices, and a stronger civil society.   

Indonesia
Supported by the U.S. Department of State's Office of Citizen Exchanges NCSL carried out a legislative exchange program with national, state, and local level parliamentarians. The program focused on promoting the development of Indonesia's legislatures, concentrating on legislative capacity strengthening, good governance policies, fiscal federalism, and association building among the regional legislatures.  The exchange program was successfully completed in December 2005.  In 2006, NCSL received a grant to carry out a legislative internship program for staff members of the Indonesian House of Representatives.  The program is designed to create opportunities for legislative staff with similar responsibilities in Indonesia and the U.S. to compare work methods, procedures, and experiences, especially pertaining to education policy and reform.  The internship program will provide valuable exposure to U.S. democratic process and further development of legislative staff skills.  Through this internship, Indonesian legislative staff will see firsthand how education policy is handled in the U.S.

Japan
The Center for Global Partnership and the U.S. Japan Foundation funded a project to focus on public policy matters of common concern between U.S. state legislators and Japanese policy-makers. Through a series of exchanges, U.S. members of state legislatures and Japanese members of prefectural assemblies explored issues such as aging, elderly care, disaster relief, and social services.

Taiwan
Through the local government of Taiwan, NCSL has sent study tour delegations to examine the legislative institution, issues regarding federalism, and public policy matters such as economic development and trade, and education.

Thailand
At a request of the World Bank, NCSL hosted a delegation from the Thai Parliament in Washington, D.C., September 21-22, 2006.  The delegation consisted of 2 representatives of the Thai Parliamentary Institute, as well as 2 parliamentary staff members.  The main purpose of the visit was to learn about the functions of the Congressional Budget Office and institutions such as the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Research Service, as the Thai Parliament is seeking to create a similar resource in Thailand.

Western Hemisphere