- ImpactWe help parliaments to become greener and to implement the Paris agreement.We support democracy by strengthening parliamentsWe work to increase women’s representation in parliament and empower women MPs.We defend the human rights of parliamentarians and help them uphold the rights of all.We help parliaments fight terrorism, cyber warfare and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.We encourage youth participation in parliaments and empower young MPs.We support parliaments in implementing the SDGs with a particular focus on health and climate change.
- Parliaments
Nearly every country in the world has some form of parliament. Parliamentary systems fall into two categories: bicameral and unicameral. Out of 190 national parliaments in the world, 78 are bicameral (156 chambers) and 112 are unicameral, making a total of 268 chambers of parliament with some 44,000 members of parliament. IPU membership is made up of 180 national parliamentsFind a national parliament
The Swiss National Council © The Swiss Parliament
We help strengthen parliaments to make them more representative and effective. - Knowledge
Discover the IPU's resources
Our library of essential resources for parliamentsGlobal data for and about national parliamentsLatest data and reports about women in parliamentResolutions, declarations and outcomes adopted by IPU MembersRecent innovations in the way parliaments workThe latest climate change legislation from the London School of Economics' database
IPU on air- Conversations about parliamentary action
Sexual and reproductive health rights: what role for parliamentarians?
In this first IPU podcast, IPU on air #1, Irish Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee, Chair of the IPU Advisory Group on Health, hosts Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, a fellow MP from the United Republic of Tanzania and Vice-Chair of the IPU Advisory Group on Health; and Dr. Pascale Allotey, Director of the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization.
Access to health: Are parliaments redressing inequalities for women and girls?
IPU on air #2 features a dialogue between host Irish Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee, Chair of the IPU Advisory Group on Health, and Rt.Hon. Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Chair of the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
Health: A moving target for migrants and refugees?
In IPU on air #3, our host, Irish Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee, Chair of the IPU Advisory Group on Health, discusses the role of parliaments in addressing the health of migrants with Ms. Yvonne Apiyo Brändle-Amolo, Delegate for Migration, Swiss Socialist Party; and Prof. Patrick Taran, President of Global Migration Policy Associates.