Parliaments are still exploring how to use social media effectively. Finding an engaging, non-partisan manner to use interactive online tools is a major challenge for all institutions, but perhaps particularly for parliaments.

These are the reasons why IPU has decided to prepare this first-ever set of Social Media Guidelines for Parliaments. The Guidelines draw on lessons learned by parliaments so far and on good practice in the social media sphere. The objective is to encourage more widespread, more efficient and more effective use of social media by parliaments. I believe that this can strengthen links between parliaments and citizens and thereby contribute to better parliaments and stronger democracies.