Requests for inclusion of an emergency item

Under the terms of Assembly Rule 11.1, any Member Parliament may request the inclusion of an emergency item in the Assembly agenda. Such a request must be accompanied by a brief explanatory memorandum and a draft resolution, which clearly define the scope of the subject covered by the request, and indicate how it is in line with the principles and values of the IPU and its Strategy. The IPU Secretariat shall communicate the request and any such documents immediately to all Member Parliaments.

Furthermore, Assembly Rule 11.2 stipulates that:

1. A request for the inclusion of an emergency item must relate to a recent major event of international concern on which urgent action by the international community is required and on which it is appropriate for the IPU to express its opinion and mobilize a parliamentary response. Such a request must receive a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in order to be accepted.
2. The Assembly may place only one emergency item on its agenda. Should several requests obtain the requisite majority, the one having received the largest number of positive votes shall be accepted.
3. The authors of two or more requests for the inclusion of an emergency item may combine their proposals to present a joint one, provided that each of the original proposals relates to the same subject.
4. The subject of a proposal that has been withdrawn by its authors or rejected by the Assembly cannot be included in the draft resolution submitted on the emergency item, unless it is clearly referred to in the request and title of the subject adopted by the Assembly.

Emergency item : The urgent need for concerted parliamentary efforts to preserve ceasefires and support peacebuilding in the Middle East and other regions

List of emergency items

• Request submitted by the delegations of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (12 April 2026) “Condemnation of the attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Gulf Cooperation Council States and Jordan”
• Request submitted by the delegations of Qatar, Australia, Türkiye, France, Brazil, Zambia, Poland, Portugal and Italy, with the support of the Arab Group, the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean and the African Group (13 April 2026) “The urgent need for concerted parliamentary efforts to preserve ceasefires and support peacebuilding in the Middle East and other regions ”
• Request submitted by the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (15 April 2026) “Condemnation of military aggression and acts of terrorism against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the United States of America and Israel, including those involving the use of foreign military bases in the Persian Gulf countries”

Assembly 

Governing Council 

Standing Committee on Peace and International Security 

Standing Committee on Sustainable Development 

Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights 

Standing Committee on United Nations Affairs 

Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law

Forum of Women Parliamentarians 

Forum of Young Parliamentarians 

Other meetings

The IPU will elect its ninth Secretary General at the 152nd IPU Assembly in Istanbul, Türkiye, on 19 April 2026.

The Secretary General serves as the Chief Executive of the Organization, overseeing the management of the Secretariat and reporting directly to the IPU Governing Council. Together with the President, the Secretary General helps to shape and carry out the IPU’s strategic plans, guided by the Executive Committee.

The Secretary General is initially elected for a term of four years, which can be renewed. He or she will be elected by secret ballot by the Governing Council from a shortlist of applicants recommended by the Executive Committee.