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President

Our President is the political head of our institution. He/she directs our activities, chairs full meetings and acts as our representative at global events and gatherings.

The President serves as head of our Executive Committee, which guides and monitors our work.

Our Presidents are all leading figures with a strong parliamentary background in their own country. They have included many Speakers and Presidents of Parliament, along with former prime ministers and MPs.

Presidents are elected for one mandate of three years only by our Governing Council. We try to ensure that there is a regular rotation between our geopolitical groups.

Our current President is Portuguese MP Mr. Duarte Pacheco, who was elected in November 2020.  

Watch the IPU President address the 2023 146th Inaugural Ceremony in Manama, Bahrain.

Duarte Pacheco's Biography

Mr. Duarte Pacheco has been a Member of Parliament in Portugal since 1991. He has held different functions in Parliament, including as a Member of the Budget and Finance Committee and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Portuguese Communities.

At the IPU, Mr. Pacheco has been a Member of the Portuguese delegation since 2002 and its head since 2016. He was the Chair of the IPU’s Twelve Plus Geopolitical Group from 2017-2020. He was also the Vice-President of the IPU’s Standing Committee on Peace and International Security from 2014-2016 and Internal Auditor for the IPU in 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2015.