She said between 2010 and 2012 the foundation implemented  cross-party briefing sessions for Ghanaian Parliamentarians with  their counterparts from the British House of Commons. Ms Majda El Bied stated this when she led a delegation from  the foundation to pay a courtesy call on Professor Aaron Mike  Ocquaye, the Speaker of Parliament at his office in Accra.

The WFD was established in 1992 after the fall of the Berlin  Wall as an independent public body which operated closely but  independent of the UK Government.The WFD has the vision of supporting universal establishment of legitimate and effective multi-party representative democracy by supporting inclusive governance which strengthens policy  making, accountability, representation and citizen’s  participation.

Ms Majda El Bied also stated that the foundation had plans to  enhance the training of Committee clerks in administration and management with special emphasis on the critical support of the committee secretariat in parliament oversight. She said the WFD have made good progress in Ghana since they  started this programme and want to work closely with the  political parties.

She said the foundation want to build the capacity of the  parliamentary staff so that they can conduct evidenced  information research and to ensure MPs have access to high  quality briefings that would enable them to hold government  accountable. Ms Majda El Bied also stated that WFD would facilitate the  establishment of an Inter-Departmental Research and Information  Group (IGRIG) to support efficient and coordinated process of  parliamentary research and information delivery.

She said the foundation would support MPs for cross-party  engagement between UK and Ghanaian political parties to enhance  development of democracy in Ghana. Professor Mike Ocquaye on his part commended the foundation  for supporting the institutional consolidation of parliament in  the past.

He said parliament was mindful of the foundation’s interest in  the inter-departmental research and that the house would learn  from the best practices around the world.  He said the house appreciated the training programmes and  visits in the past that had been held particularly in areas that  had been identified by foundation to cooperate with the  Parliament of Ghana

Professor Mike Ocquaye said parliament was looking forward to  deepening the relationship between the house and the foundation.   He said the house was starting an institute for Parliamentary  studies which would be able to put in place the physical  facilities but without the faculty and programmes.

He said the house was expanding the parameters of Parliament  so that they could go to areas which were previously left out of  their remit.