Creative efforts by the Lithuanian Parliament to increase public participation in the work of the Seimas and Lithuania’s 2013 EU Presidency has been featured by a report of best practices released today by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA).

The report showcases the European Information Office of the Seimas, which brought out more than 200 bicyclists to join parliamentarians and diplomats to build excitement for this year’s EU Presidency, and the Public Relations Unit of the Seimas, which has organized a special program to allow questions from anyone in the country wherever they are during parliamentary press conferences.

The report is part of an ongoing project of the OSCE PA, a 57 country assembly that works to strengthen international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

“The Vilnius bike ride shows us that practical programmes to increase public engagement need not always be high tech,” said report editor Neil Simon of the OSCE PA. “A little creative thinking and fun can go a long way to help the public remember parliamentarians are people too.”

“European Information Office (EIO) is an excellent tool and platform for communication with wider public, by involving decision makers, experts and politicians. EIO takes a very unique place in Lithuanian Parliaments communication policy,” says Mr Petras Auštrevičius, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas.

The report also highlights a relatively last-minute NGO initiative known as ‘White Gloves’ to bring out about 700 volunteer domestic election observers in advance of the second round of the 2012 parliamentary elections.

Media contacts:

Justė Radzevičiūtė-Laugalienė, Senior specialist of the Visitor and Event Division of the Public Relations Unit Communications Department of the Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, +370 620 99 659, [email protected]

Neil Simon,  Director of Communications, OSCE PA, +45 60 10 83 80, [email protected]