Parliaments play a critical role in ensuring laws comply with international, regional, and national standards and are responsive to the public interest. They can also raise public awareness on human rights concerns and elevate issues of importance to marginalized communities, including people with disabilities. Parliaments have the power and responsibility to make meaningful contributions toward improving accessibility at local, national, and international levels. 

With the highest level of internet access in the western Balkans, Kosovo faces vast threats to its information integrity. NDI’s global mission in supporting and strengthening democratic institutions recognizes this growing threat to democratic institutions and political and social fabrics globally. While the internet has empowered billions with access to knowledge, it has also empowered those seeking to undermine democracy.

Six of an estimated 50 Roma candidates who ran in Slovakia’s September 2023 parliamentary elections were elected, bringing to office the greatest number of Roma members of parliament (MPs) in the country's history. Roma, a historically disenfranchised minority, now comprise four percent of the 150-member body. These elections tell the story of two different approaches to boosting minority political representation: direct voter engagement and mainstreaming candidates through their positions on the candidate list.

While global attention on North Korean human rights issues has waned in the wake of other urgent global crises, the human rights situation in North Korea has continued to deteriorate, especially during and after the pandemic. Collaboration on North Korean education is crucial in this environment to raise awareness of North Korean human rights issues; however, varying priorities and realities often make organic cooperation difficult between civil society organizations (CSOs).