HDAC Announces New Partnerships

Members of Congress making up the House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) agreed to offer two new partnerships to the Kosovo Assembly and the Peruvian Congress. Both countries' legislatures are expected to accept the offers in short order.

Upon acceptance, Kosovo and Peru will join the current HDAC partner legislatures of Afghanistan, Colombia, East Timor, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Mongolia, and Ukraine.

In a demonstration of the Commission's bipartisan credentials, both the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI) will join HDAC in its work with the new partner nations. The NDI legislative strengthening program will collaborate with HDAC in Kosovo, while HDAC will work with the IRI political party strengthening program in Peru.

"We are delighted to partner with the legislatures of these two important United States allies," said Congressman David Price (D-NC), chairman of the Commission. "Peru has demonstrated a readiness and eagerness to engage in HDAC activities, and as a swing state in Latin America it provides a significance that reaches beyond its own borders. And as Ranking Member Dreier commented, Kosovo's status as the newest country in the world gives HDAC a considerable potential for impact."

HDAC is charged with promoting responsive, effective government and strengthening democratic institutions in emerging democracies. Central to the Commission's work is peer-to-peer cooperation to build technical expertise that enhances accountability, transparency, legislative independence, and government oversight in partner foreign legislatures.