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.
This is the third webinar in the Climate Legislation Webinar Series organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Center for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat. This three-part series aims to build the capacity of parliamentarians and other key stakeholders in their response to climate change, and to promote knowledge-sharing on key topics in legislation and governance that arise in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Participants will benefit from expert legal opinions and findings to support domestic legislative and policymaking efforts in implementing the Paris Agreement.
This third webinar focuses on legislative approaches to ensure the social stability of communities facing climate-induced risks. Climate change can create a “double burden” in already fragile States or in societies that are already highly vulnerable and therefore find it more difficult to address climate change impacts such as droughts, food shortages and water scarcity. These impacts can create further social instability, potentially leading to conflict, migration or displacement. This webinar will explore how legal instruments and governance structures can be used to minimize risks to social stability in the context of climate change. It will be of particular relevance to parliamentarians, since it will discuss the role of parliaments in ensuring climate-induced risks to social stability are recognized in legislative and policy interventions.
This 60-minute webinar will be hosted on Zoom. Simultaneous French and Spanish interpretation will be provided.
This series is open to all parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, and is of particular relevance to legal staff. The other webinars will take place on 27 August (1–2 p.m. GMT) and 17 September (1–2 p.m. GMT). Participants are encouraged to join the whole series.