In most countries of the world, parliaments are the most important bodies tasked with holding the executive branch of government to account over the development and conduct of the nation’s domestic  and external policy. Today, the boundaries between what are domestic and foreign policy    issues are increasingly blurred. National policy of powerful states affects millions of people outside their borders, and international developments affect people in their everyday lives more than ever before. Yet in most countries the oversight of foreign policy, including those relevant to global organisations, international treaties, development and humanitarian aid, world trade, environmental governance, and the use of armed force abroad, remains a well-protected privilege of the executive.

The Parliamentary Oversight Project (POP) is an action-research project monitoring, investigating and formulating recommendations for reform of parliamentary and formal participatory processes for improved democratic oversight of national foreign policy, writ large. Using interviews, case studies and collaborative research with partners, it analyses parliamentary culture and processes regarding the scrutiny of international affairs and from a comparative perspective focusing on the global governance dimension of national arrangements and practice, promotes changes to strengthen the role of Parliament and parliamentarians as a key link between people, civil society organisations and the conduct of global policy.