The IPU facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development around the world.
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 44,000 members of parliament. IPU membership is made up of 180 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.
The Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization(WTO) is a joint undertaking of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the European Parliament. The principal objective of the Conference is to enhance external transparency of the WTO and hold it accountable to legislators as elected representatives of the people. Sessions of the Parliamentary Conference are held annually and in connection with WTO Ministerial Conferences (MC). The smooth running of this process is ensured by the Conference Steering Committee.
The 2018 Annual Session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO will take place on 6 and 7 December, in Room CRIon the premises of the WTO, Centre William Rappardin Geneva.
In conformity with the Conference Rules of Procedure, the annual session is intended primarily for parliamentarians who specialize in matters of international trade in their respective parliaments. The Conference will provide them with an opportunity to obtain first-hand information on recent developments in the Doha Round negotiations and consider ways of contributing to the revitalization of this process. It will also be an occasion to follow up on the Buenos Aires session of the Parliamentary Conference held during the 11thWTO Ministerial Conference. Finally, the 2018 Annual Session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO will allow the parliamentarians to exchange views and experiences with colleagues in other parliaments, interact with government negotiators and WTO officials and engage in a dialogue with civil society representatives.
Thursday, 6 December 2018
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Registration of participants
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Inaugural session Ms. Margaret Mensah-Williams, Chairperson of the National Council of Namibia, co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO; Mr. Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Vice-President of the European Parliament; Ambassador Junichi Ihara, Permanent Representative of Japan to the WTO, Chairperson of the WTO General Council
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Hearing with the WTO Deputy Director-General, Mr. Xiaozhun Yi
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Challenges and opportunities facing the WTO
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Reception at the WTO
Friday, 7 December 2018
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WTO 2030?
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Lunch break
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How can technological development benefit the people?