AALEP SIGNS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING LED BY THE AMERICAN LEAGUE OF LOBBYISTS FOR GLOBAL ETHICAL LOBBYING PRACTICE

AALEP has signed a Memorandum of Understanding led by the Washington-based American League of Lobbyists for bringing together global ethical lobbying practices.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among signatory organizations representing professional lobbying advocates in various nations sets forth the mutual understandings and agreements among the signatories with regard to how they intend to work together to help strengthen and enhance the lobbying profession and the democratic process in their own countries and globally.

The full text of the MOU is published in AALEP's Members' Section.

Basically the goals and objectives of the signatory organizations are the following:

1. International Code of Lobbying Ethics: Adoption by every signatory  of a strong, common, International Code of Lobbying Ethics, to be followed by their members and to provide a worldwide basic standard for ethical, honest, fair, transparent and responsible acts and practices of lobbying professionals.

2. International Alliance of Lobbyists: Creation of a new nonprofit organization for the "International Alliance of Lobbyists (Alliance), to represent and advance the interests of the lobbying profession, including individual lobbyists and lobbyists' organizations, and to support democratic process on a worldwide basis.

3. Lobbyists' Education and Training Efforts: Development and use of quality materials, courses of study and other training efforts to help ensure that all professional lobbyists have an adequate understanding in every jurisdiction in which they work, of the governmental processes and procedures relevant to their clients' interests; proper and effective lobbying practices; and relevant ethical standards and obligations and legal requirements governing lobbyists and lobbying activities.

4. Advocacy on behalf of the Lobbying Profession and the Democratic Process: Constructive support for and participation in the development and implementation of reasonable statutes, regulations, rules and policies affecting the lobbying profession and support for the democratic process, including the inherent right of all interests to convey their views to government and to have a professional advocate assist them.

5. Public and Media Education: Undertaking meaningful ongoing efforts to educate the general public, media representatives and government officials in their respective nations about the nature of the lobbying process; the ethical, professional and legal requirements applicable to lobbyists and lobbying-related activities; the vital role  that professional lobbyists play in the democratic process; and why all interests have a fundamental inherent right in democracy to explain and advocate their views and concerns to government and to use professional lobbyists to assist them in their dealings with public officials.

6. Cooperative Actions Among Lobbyists' Organizations: Cooperation and working actively and in good faith together may include among other things:

• conducting and participating in conferences, webinars, seminars and meetings, and an annual international conference related to lobbying;
• including a section on their respective web pages for linking to websites of other signatories and to facilitate sharing of information;
• assisting other signatories and their members upon request in identifying professional lobbyists in their country who signatories' members might consider retaining;
• preparing model or common educational materials regarding the nature and importance of lobbying in the democratic process adn training materials and programmes concerning effective and proper lobbying practices and ethical and legal obligations;
• interchange of information on lobbying practices and regulation between signatories to share and improve their members' knowledge;
• facilitating and encouraging research and academic studies on lobbying activities;
• developing lobbying "best practices";
• drafting model laws and regulations concerning transparency and disclosure of lobbying activities and for the regulation of lobbying-related practices;
• undertaking other activities as may be deemed necessary or appropriate to further the purposes and goals as provided for in the MOU, including assisting in the creation of the planned international Alliance of Lobbyists.