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 Public Engagement Hub seminar, jointly organised by the IPU and IPEN, will focus on public petitions. Through an in-conversation format, it will address the processes and challenges arising from petitions submitted to the lower chamber of Nigeria’s national legislature.
We will hear from Hon Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, a four-term member of the House of Representatives (2007–2023), and chair of the House Standing Committee on Public Petitions (2015–2019) about efforts made by his team to enhance and institutionalise public petitions in the context of Nigeria’s emerging legislature. Hon Nkem-Abonta will highlight the challenges in the process and how they worked with civil society, in particular, towards strengthening the process.
From a civil society perspective, we will also hear from an important voice in Nigeria’s civic space, Oke Epia, about initiatives to promote public engagement with parliament through the instrumentality of the petitions process.
Speakers: Hon Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (Chair, Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, 2015–2019); Oke Epia (Founder and Executive Director of OrderPaper, Nigeria)