As we reflect on our organization’s nearly five-decade-long legacy of achievements in the parliamentary field, we are mindful that we exist today in a pivotal time in global society. This is a moment ripe with opportunity. It invites us to explore new ideas to ensure we are prepared to address the challenges to multilateral cooperation that our world is facing. It calls us to deepen our response to our member-parliamentarians’ requests for assistance and connection. And it requires that we shape a fresh and positive narrative, grounded on facts, to counter the rise of authoritarianism and polarization across the globe.
In that spirit, we have used this moment in time to chart a new course in our organizational strategy for the next three years. Our executive committee of elected parliamentarians reviewed our achievements, considered new proposals for action, and discussed our reason for being, including those elements that make our organization unique in relation to other parliamentary networks and enable our members to become champions for human rights and allies to civil society partners.
Our new strategic direction places PGA’s human rights-based approach, action-oriented advocacy, and empowerment of individual parliamentarians at the center of our work. We strive to become a more effective communicator by increasing our capacity and by developing strategic tools and messages on human rights, democracy, peace and security, the rule of law, environmental governance, and the inclusion of marginalized populations that resonate with our member-parliamentarians and align with international human rights law. We are committed to reflection and self-assessment to learn from obstacles and identify strategies that demonstrate impact and sustainability, and we are open to changing course in the face of new challenges and opportunities.
Our Strategic Vision
PGA’s work is guided by a strong set of organizational values, charged by our mission to catalyze parliamentarian advocacy and action, and inspired by a vision for human society that we are creating in partnership with parliamentarians across the globe.
Our Vision
To strengthen a rules-based international order for an equitable, safe, sustainable, and democratic world.
Our Mission
Parliamentarians for Global Action — a non-governmental, multi-party, international network of legislators acting in their individual capacity — informs and mobilizes parliamentarians in all regions of the world to advocate for human rights and the Rule of Law, democracy, human security, inclusion, gender equality, and justice, including climate justice, and the environment.
Our Values
- ACCOUNTABILITY: We are mindful that the actions we take have an impact on people’s lives, and our duty is to them. We observe the highest standards and ethics, adhering to “do no harm” principles.
- INCLUSION and EQUITY: We believe gender equality is a fundamental human right and a foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. We believe in ending sex and gender discrimination. We value diverse voices and views and recognize that deep disparities exist — especially for those who sit at the intersection of marginalized identities.
- BOLDNESS: We are innovative, action-oriented, and courageous in our pursuit of making real and lasting change. We are not afraid to adapt in the face of adversity.
- HOPE: We do our best work when we do it with a strong sense of purpose and a passion for a better world. Even when we’re doing hard things, we understand the essential role hope plays in our work.
- RESPECT: We root ourselves in our shared humanity and treat each other with kindness and compassion. We are at our best when we honor the equal dignity and worth of all people.
- PARTNERSHIP: We are open to working with all who support our vision, mission, and values and believe partnerships are key for democracy and human rights to prevail. We especially value our civil society partners, as they are experts on their own experience.
Our Theory of Change
Members of parliament play a key role in national and global efforts to promote and protect human rights, democracy, and peace in their capacity as lawmakers, as members of government, and as democratically elected representatives of the people of their communities.
PGA creates an enabling environment for positive change in society by facilitating peer-to-peer learning among parliamentarians, building connection between parliamentarians and civil society, as well as building bridges between domestic and international policymakers and stakeholders.
PROBLEM
In context of rising authoritarianism, erosion of democratic values, and backlash on rights, parliamentarians across the globe who value human rights, democracy, and peace are disconnected from one another, geographically and politically.
Parliamentarians need peer-to-peer networking and international support, education, technical assistance, and connection with civil society to enable them to counter democratic threats and take legislative actions from a human rights-based approach.
ACTIONS
- Convening of safe spaces for constructive dialogue on specific topics in the PGA agenda.
- Provision of tailored tools and resources for parliamentarians.
- Education on international human rights law and campaign issues.
- Safe spaces for women and representatives of marginalized communities in politics to dialogue and exchange experiences.
OUTPUTS
- Development of roadmaps and action plans.
- Increased visibility of PGA members through traditional and social media.
- Improved engagement with national parliaments, including gender and multi-party representation.
- Improved collaboration between parliamentarians and civil society stakeholders in country.
OUTCOMES
- PGA members are strengthened as champions taking actions to promote the rule of law, democracy, human security, inclusion, gender equality and justice, including climate justice and the environment.
- PGA members’ actions are amplified through a network of solidarity among parliamentarians from different political parties that creates knowledge and builds connection.
- PGA members have increased engagement with civil society organizations and/or key stakeholders in their countries contributing to regular collaboration and fostering local ownership.
INDICATORS
- Ratified treaties that uphold human rights and strengthen the rule of law and democracy in line with PGA campaigns.
- Reported new or amended legislation adopted (of which a determined percentage protects/promotes the rights of women and marginalized populations).
- Reported harmonizing of international human rights law into domestic legal frameworks (of which a determined percentage specifically safeguards the rights of women and marginalized populations and advances gender equality).
IMPACT
Parliamentarians in all regions of the world contribute to a rules-based international order for an equitable, safe, sustainable and democratic world.
Our Organizational Goals
GOAL 1:
Membership
PGA members are the most active change-makers in their parliaments. They are at the heart of everything we do. PGA is committed to offering an inclusive space for all parliamentarians, providing them with resources, inspiration from their peers and technical support.
Our Priorities
- Build capacity of individual parliamentarians as champions of campaign issues.
- Improve active engagement of our global membership through participation in PGA activities, communications with staff, requests for technical assistance, etc.
- Maintain at least 1,000 active members despite challenge of PGA membership turnover from the large number of global elections in 2024 and 2025.
- Strengthen PGA national groups (members organized within a given country/parliament with gender balance and representation from several political parties) by building ownership and sustainability of actions and demonstrating the value of dialogue in advancing common human rights interests.
GOAL 2:
Communications
Effective communication is vital to our organization. We will strengthen PGA's influence and impact by more effectively elevating our members' voices and achievements and strengthening their ability to champion an equitable, safe, sustainable, and democratic world.
Our Priorities
- Raise the profile of PGA and its members on social platforms and traditional media.
- Improve understanding about PGA: what we do, how and where we work, and the elements that make us relevant and unique among other parliamentary networks.
- Develop content, communication tools, and messages to assist PGA members to be more effective champions of campaign issues.
GOAL 3:
Fundraising
We strive to have the financial resources to serve our members and the programs and campaigns we champion together. PGA will focus our development efforts on expanding and diversifying funding sources, especially for core support of the organization, to allow us to respond to the needs of our members and advance progress on our mission and vision.
Our Priorities
- Secure unrestricted, multi-year core support.
- Ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization.
GOAL 4:
Learning
We are mindful that societal and legal change can take years. Only by continuous reflection can we understand how our actions contribute to each milestone we achieve. PGA is committed to developing the systems needed to improve how we collect data, identify strategies that work, and learn from past efforts in order to strengthen how we remain effective, sustainable, and scalable in our advocacy work.
Our Priorities
- Strengthen our capacity to design and operationalize an organizational monitoring, evaluation and learning framework based on our updated theory of change.
- Collect stories that exemplify our impact and the high-level results and milestones we seek to achieve.
- Share lessons learned and best practices.
- Course-correct in the face of new opportunities and challenges.
GOAL 5:
Realizing Gender Equality
PGA members are uniquely positioned to enact policies and legislation that support gender mainstreaming, to explain to their constituencies the importance of gender equality for women, girls, boys, and men, and to speak up against inequality. We are committed to advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls in PGA’s own democratic governance and programmatic design as well as in institutions and processes around the world.
Our Priorities
- Remove the structural barriers to women’s and girls’ access to participation in all spheres of their lives.
- Break the cycle of discriminatory laws and norms that perpetuate violence, poverty, and marginalization against women and girls.
- Ensure that our communications materials and resources are gender and diversity sensitive and that they illuminate gender considerations for parliamentarians.
Our Programmatic Goals
Programs and campaigns activate our members around a set of priorities — democracy, international justice, protection of the environment, etc. — in order to build their capacity as advocates for enacting laws and policies that uphold these priorities within their home countries and across global alliances.
