The IPU facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development around the world.
We help parliaments build peaceful and inclusive societies, fight terrorism and violent extremism and curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Nearly every country in the world has some form of parliament. Parliamentary systems fall into two categories: bicameral and unicameral. Out of 188 national parliaments in the world, 81 are bicameral (162 chambers) and 107 are unicameral, making a total of 269 chambers of parliament with some 44,000 members of parliament. IPU membership is made up of 183 national parliaments
Throughout the year, the IPU and its Members organize many events for parliamentarians to exchange good practices, acquire the latest information and identify avenues for action.
The IPU has been collecting data on parliaments since its inception in 1889, including information on women’s participation in politics since 1945. In this section, discover the IPU's knowledge bank for and about parliaments.
Cooperation between parliaments and the United Nations in promoting world peace, particularly from the perspectives of the fight against terrorism and the achievement of greater energy security
The role of parliaments in overseeing the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular with regard to the problem of debt and the eradication of poverty and corruption
The need for urgent food relief in order to combat drought-induced famine and poverty in Africa, for the world's most industrialized nations to speed up aid to the continent and for particular efforts to be made to reach desperate and poor populations ...
The importance of civil society and its interplay with parliaments and other democratically elected assemblies for the maturing and development of democracy
The respective roles of parliament and the media in providing the public with impartial, accurate and verifiable information, especially on armed conflicts and the struggle against terrorism
The role of parliaments in establishing innovative international financing and trading mechanisms to address the problem of debt and achieve the Millennium Development Goals
The role of parliaments in advocating and enforcing observance of human rights in the strategies for the prevention, management and treatment of the HIV/AIDS pandemic
The role of parliaments in the establishment and functioning of mechanisms to provide for the judgment and sentencing of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and terrorism, with a view to avoiding impunity
The role of parliaments in strengthening multilateral regimes for non-proliferation of weapons and for disarmament, in the light of new security challenges