- 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 46,000 members of parliament. IPU membership is made up of 181 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' databaseIPU on air- Conversations about parliamentary action
The 130th Anniversary
The IPU celebrated its 130 years in 2019 under the umbrella slogan of "130 years of empowering parliamentarians".
On the anniversary day itself, Sunday 30 June 2019 - also International Day of Parliamentarism - the Presidents of the most recent and future IPU Assemblies met in a "Quintet" of current IPU leadership. The Speakers and IPU leadership discussed the ongoing relevance of the founding values and principles of the IPU 130 years on, results achieved at the previous Assemblies, and actions ahead.
The IPU's Member Parliaments celebrated the milestone in a number of different events around the world. IPU Members also contributed to the production of a special anniversary book as well as the elaboration of a dedicated charter for parliamentary diplomacy.
The IPU also created an online exhibition and timeline called 1889-2019: Celebrating 130 years of the IPU.
Watch '130 years in 130 seconds' to discover the IPU's rich history.
