IPU Strategy for 2027–2031

The IPU is the oldest multilateral political organization in the world. Since 1889, it has worked to promote worldwide parliamentary dialogue for peace and cooperation among peoples. Its experience and commitment to democratic governance helped shape key institutions, from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 1899 to the United Nations in 1945. Driven by a belief in the importance of parliaments as the cornerstone of democracy, the IPU has worked to strengthen parliaments’ core functions and to improve the lives of all people for 137 years. 

At the current moment,2 the world is facing a high degree of uncertainty and geopolitical tension. This situation has been
compounded by the growing number of conflicts giving rise to severe challenges to multilateralism, the institutions that support it, respect for international law, and the IPU’s foundational value of democratic governance led by parliaments. Parliaments are being challenged to maintain their legitimacy, as declining levels of public trust and rising levels of disinformation and misinformation – both fuelled by artificial intelligence – threaten democratic stability.