In South Africa, parliament implemented virtual platforms during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure responsiveness and continued oversight of the security sector, after initial challenges to oversight at the start of the pandemic. This entailed the implementation of the necessary information and communications technology to ensure their readiness for virtual meetings, and the development of guidelines and rules for conducting virtual meetings and holding virtual votes.

The adoption of virtual oversight platforms by parliament not only facilitated oversight, but in some cases improved the transparency of the security sector and of parliamentarians themselves. This initiative has directly advanced SDG targets on developing accountable and transparent institutions (16.6) and ensuring responsive, inclusive, and representative decision-making (16.7).