Parliamentarians, civil society representatives and experts explored how ethical standards can help strengthen public trust in parliaments at an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw on 9 October 2026.
Public confidence depends on whether elected representatives act with integrity and are held accountable. Parliamentary codes of conduct help prevent corruption and manage conflicts of interest, but their effectiveness depends on clear guidance, oversight and a credible response when rules are broken.
"A parliamentary mandate has a dual nature. On the one hand, it requires professionalism. On the other, it rests on public trust - and trust is a matter of ethics. Public opinion surveys confirm this: when Ukrainians are asked what qualities a member of parliament or politician should possess, honesty and integrity consistently rank first," said Viktoriya Podgorna, Member of Parliament and Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Digital Transformation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
"Codes of conduct are most effective when they reflect a broad public consensus, built through inclusive consultations among political parties and with civil society," said Arusyak Julhakyan, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Committee on State and Legal Affairs of Armenia's National Assembly.
Drawing on experiences from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, participants examined how parliaments oversee ethical standards and respond to breaches. They also discussed the role of political parties in promoting integrity among candidates and elected representatives, and the sustained political commitment needed to make these standards part of everyday parliamentary life.
"Political parties bear significant responsibility. They should adopt their own codes of conduct, establish a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment, and ensure that complaints are addressed before misconduct reaches Parliament," said Liliana Palihovici, Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.
The discussion took place at an ODIHR side event during the 2026 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference . It was organized as part of the ODIHR project " Stronger Democratic Institutions in Eastern Partnership Countries ", funded by the European Union, with support from France, Norway, Italy and Switzerland.
