The Swiss National Council © The Swiss Parliament
We empower parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace,
democracy and sustainable development.
On the eve of the International Day of Parliamentarism and the IPU’s 133rd anniversary on 30 June, a snapshot of the state of parliaments and parliamentarians offers mixed results.
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In partnership with the Parliament of Uruguay, the IPU is organizing a regional seminar on climate change for the parliaments of Latin America and the Caribbean from 28-30 June. The IPU Executive Committee will also meet on 29 June.
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Some 300 parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, including 16 Speakers and Deputy Speakers, from over 50 countries convened in Türkiye on 20-21 June for a global parliamentary conference on migration, organized jointly by the IPU and the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye.
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Golriz Ghahraman is an Iranian-born New Zealand MP. A former United Nations lawyer, she became the first refugee to be elected to New Zealand's Parliament.
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Watch 133 years of IPU's history in (just over) 133 seconds. How did the IPU grow from a handful of parliamentarians from 9 countries who met for the first time on 30 June 1889 to become the global organization of parliaments?
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Press releases 
News in brief
News in brief 
News in brief 
Publication
In 2017, as we set out on a new strategic cycle, our objective was “the advancement of democratic values, the rule of law and strong, representative institutions, and the promotion of gender equality and human rights.” Five years on, what impact ...
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News and Stories
As part of the IPU series called 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover José Cepeda Garcia de León, a parliamentarian from Spain (in Spanish). The views and opinions expressed by the parliamentarians are their own and do not necessarily reflect the IPU’s position.
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Section Page
The Executive Committee oversees our administration and makes recommendations to our Governing Council on various matters, including applications by national parliaments or regional parliamentary assemblies wishing to join us. It also assesses candidates for the post of Secretary General, and submits a recommendation to the Governing Council. The Committee sets the date and venue of our ...
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Section Page
MPs can sometimes be subject to human rights violations, ranging from arbitrary detention and exclusion from public life to even kidnapping and murder in the worst cases. The IPU has been defending MPs in danger for the past 40 years through its Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians. The map below shows the latest alleged violations of ...
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Events
The war in Ukraine has global implications, including for the future of multilateralism. It is bringing into focus some of the longer-term trends around a renewed wave of authoritarianism and populism in national politics.
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Events
The IPU and the Parliament of Uruguay are jointly organizing a regional seminar on climate change.
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Publication
The third Global Parliamentary Report examines public engagement in the work of parliament. The information, findings and recommendations in this report set out a road map for enhanced public engagement by parliaments and parliamentarians, working collaboratively with the community to ...
Read moreHalf the world’s population is under 30 and yet only 2.6% of MPs globally represent this age group. The IPU has identified the six ways to change this.
We help strengthen parliaments to make them more effective and representative.
We 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 create the global space for parliamentary diplomacy, dialogue and networking.
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.
We bring a parliamentary dimension to United Nations processes to ensure international commitments become national realities.
