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 parliaments in the world, 79 are bicameral (158 chambers) and 111 are unicameral, making a total of 269 chambers of parliament with some 44,000 members of parliament. IPU membership is made up of 179 national parliaments. Discover
The Conference is organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco in cooperation with Religions for Peace, and with the support of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the Mohammadia League of Religious Scholars.
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 Interfaith Dialogue: Working together for our common future will take place from 13 to 15 June 2023 in Marrakesh, Morocco. The Conference is organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco in cooperation with Religions for Peace, and with the support of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the Mohammadia League of Religious Scholars.
Addressing issues of inclusion and coexistence is an important part of the IPU’s mandate to promote peace and understanding through political dialogue, cooperation and parliamentary action. The IPU’s 2012 Quebec City Declaration on Citizenship, identity and linguistic and cultural diversity in a globalized world recognizes the importance of balancing respect for diversity with social inclusiveness and cohesion as a means of building trust within and among societies and as a precondition for progress, prosperity and a high quality of life. The 2017 St. Petersburg Declaration on Promoting cultural pluralism and peace through interfaith and inter-ethnic dialogue recognized that dialogue with faiths, cultures and ethnicities is essential to peace and cultural pluralism and that, as representatives of the people, the world's parliaments are committed to strengthening normative processes and legal frameworks conducive to more open and inclusive societies.
The Conference will bring together Speakers and members of parliament, religious leaders, representatives of civil society and other experts to engage in dialogue and share good practices around key issues standing in the way of sustainable co-existence and to jointly explore action points for building more peaceful and inclusive societies. It will also aim to develop a roadmap for joint action ahead.