Democratization: Legislative Support Programmes Programmes Region Legislative Reform Assistance OSCE Region Joint EC-ODIHR Programme: Promoting Legislation Reform and Criminal Justice in Central Asia Central Asia an analysis of the proposed policy, combined with, or followed by, an assessment of the potential impact of the legislation (including its financial impact). A legislative agenda and timetables are established to ensure that adequate time is provided for the preparation of various legislative stages. The legislation is drafted in accordance with pre-established work plans and following standardized drafting techniques. Those who will be affected by the legislation — interest groups, NGOs, ordinary citizens — are given an opportunity to comment on the draft legislation. And finally, the functioning and effectiveness of the legislation are monitored and assessed on a regular basis. While reviewing individual pieces of legislation, the ODIHR found that some or all of these stages were missing or not properly regulated or conducted in the legislative processes of countries undergoing political transition or undertaking major legislative reforms, resulting in inefficient legislative processes that lacked transparency. In response, the ODIHR has developed a pilot methodology that aims to make legislative processes more efficient, open, and transparent. The first step is to survey a particular country’s entire legislative process, including the structure and interaction of the institutions involved. A subsequent analysis is carried out to identify weaknesses or gaps that need to be rectified. Finally, depending on the outcome of the previous stages, a series of workshops bringing together those involved in the legislative process in order to find solutions to the identified problems may be considered. The first stage of this new methodology was conducted in Georgia and Ukraine in 2005, with planning underway for the remaining stages to be carried out in 2006. ANNUAL REPORT 2005 III. Further strengthening legislationline.org Legislationline (www.legislationline.org) is a free-of-charge online legislative database that was created in 2002 to assist OSCE participating States in bringing their legislation into line with relevant international human rights standards. The database was designed as a drafting tool for lawmakers, not simply as an archive of domestic or international legislation. Its purpose is to provide assistance to those who prepare and draft laws at the working level. Through Legislationline, they can obtain examples and options from other countries’ legislation that can help them make their own choices. The activities involved in maintaining the database not only benefit lawmakers but also permit ODIHR experts to observe patterns in legislative activity, identify best practices, and monitor the application of international standards. As a reference tool for a variety of users (primarily law drafters, legal professionals, government officials, parliamentary staff, and legal specialists in international organizations), it is the most comprehensive database on legislation related to more than a dozen human dimension issues such as human trafficking, elections, and citizenship. Future Priorities The ODIHR plans to increase its focus on legislative efficiency, first by conducting in-depth assessments of legislative processes in OSCE participating States and then by recommending ways to make the process more efficient. In 2006, depending on whether certain preconditions are met, it is anticipated that the first stage of the new methodology for conducting such assessments will be carried out in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Similar assessments might also be conducted in Armenia and Moldova. Legislationline will be redesigned and gradually translated into Russian, and more information about legislative procedures in OSCE countries will be made available. Throughout the past year, the ODIHR conducted an evaluation of its own legislative reviews in an attempt to improve its methodology and design a strategy to improve the impact of its legislative-assistance work. This process will continue in 2006. 49