Kurdistan Parliament Joins International Parliamentary Training Programme in Paris

Kurdistan 06:10 PM - 2025-11-30

Dr Fuad Ahmed, Advisor and Director of the Kurdistan Parliament's Research Centre, receiving his certificate after finishing his course.

From 17 to 21 November 2025, Paris hosted an intensive English-language training course on parliamentary practice, jointly organised by the French Senate and National Assembly, with support from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the National Institute of Public Service (INSP).

The course forms part of a long-running training initiative launched in 2009, offered alongside its French-language counterpart established in 1995. Since its inception, the programme has welcomed more than 175 parliamentarians and parliamentary staff from over 25 countries.

This year, 22 participants representing 17 countries took part, including Armenia, Austria, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, India, Iraq, Jordan, the Kurdistan Region, Mongolia, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Notably, a representative of the Kurdistan Parliament participated in the programme for the first time.

Intensive Course on the French Parliamentary System

The week-long programme comprised numerous training sessions held alternately in the National Assembly and the Senate. Key topics included:

- The structure and functioning of France’s bicameral parliamentary system

- Procedures for plenary sittings and the management of debates

- Parliamentary ethics

- Oversight tools for monitoring government performance

- The autonomy of both chambers in managing their internal affairs

- The role of standing committees in legislative and oversight processes

Participants also attended a government question-and-answer session in the National Assembly and joined a meeting of one of the parliamentary committees.

Kurdish Contribution: Technology and Parliamentary Work

Dr Fuad Ahmed, Advisor and Director of the Kurdistan Parliament's Research Centre, delivered a presentation on how the Kurdistan Parliament employs modern technology to support the legislative process, improve public access to parliamentary information, and strengthen communication between citizens and their representatives.

The Kurdistan Parliament representative also contributed to wider discussions, reviewing parliamentary developments in the Kurdistan Region over the past three decades across six electoral cycles. He outlined the mechanisms for:

- Drafting and passing legislation and resolutions

- Government oversight

- Committee operations

- Enhancing parliamentary performance in legislative and oversight duties

Meetings with Female Members of the French Parliament

Participants held direct meetings with two French women parliamentarians: Laetitia Saint-Paul, Member of the National Assembly for Maine-et-Loire, and Vanina Paoli-Gagin, Senator for Aube. 

The meetings explored the day-to-day responsibilities of French parliamentarians in both chambers and provided an opportunity to share practical experiences.

Session on Digital Transformation in Public Administration

The programme featured a dedicated session on digital transformation in the public sector, delivered by Fadila Leturcq, Head of the Public Digital Campus at the Inter-Ministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM). She outlined current trends and innovations in digital governance in France.

Parliamentary Simulation on Social Media Regulation

As part of the practical component, participants engaged in a simulated plenary session examining a draft resolution on social media regulation under Article 34-1 of the French Constitution. The exercise allowed trainees to practise legislative drafting and debate skills in a realistic parliamentary environment.

Closing Ceremony

The course concluded with a formal ceremony in which certificates of completion were presented by the Secretaries-General of the Senate and the National Assembly, Éric Tavernier and Damien Chamussy, in recognition of the participants’ active engagement in this international training programme.



PUKMEDIA