IPU President

Both the President and the Secretary General of the IPU have expressed serious concern about the continuing violence and bloodshed in Venezuela. The situation has further escalated in recent days as Venezuelan President Maduro has decided to go ahead with the vote on 30 July to elect a Constituent Assembly to redraft the country’s Constitution. In the interest of peace, the IPU calls on the authorities to reconsider the 30 July vote.

A record number of MPs from 36 parliaments participated in the 2017 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on sustainable development, from 10 to 19 July, in New York. The HLPF is the platform where governments and other stakeholders, including parliaments can monitor progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year, 44 countries presented national progress reports.

The IPU condemns in the strongest terms the recent attack on the National Assembly in Venezuela. The Organization deplores the assault on members of parliament and the physical integrity of the institution itself. The incident follows an earlier assault on several parliamentarians on 27 June, including a member of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, Delsa Solórzano, who sustained serious injuries. “Any attack on parliament is an assault on democracy,” said IPU President Saber Chowdhury, reaffirming the sanctity of parliament. Noting that President Maduro has also condemned the 5 July attack, the IPU is urging restraint by all sides in the escalating crisis in Venezuela and a return to calm.

IPU President Saber Chowdhury is the proud recipient of this year’s World No Tobacco Day award. The award, given by the World Health Organization (WHO), recognizes Mr. Chowdhury's contribution to tobacco control at the local, national, regional and international levels.

More than 50 young parliamentarians from Asia-Pacific countries have gathered in Sri Lanka today and tomorrow to discuss their role in advancing inclusive and peaceful societies and preventing violent extremism in the region. During the two days, young MPs will collaborate with global experts and key civil society actors in developing strategies that engage their peers on the role parliaments and political participation can play in addressing violent extremism.

Expressing grave concern with the extreme political, social and economic inequalities prevalent in the world, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has called for immediate action to reverse this trend and leave no one behind. In a declaration issued at the close of the 136th IPU Assembly (#IPU136) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, IPU Members highlighted that "extreme inequalities" come at a high cost to society, stalling economic growth, undermining the democratic process and social cohesion and increasing the risk of violence and insecurity.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) strongly condemns the attack on the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 22 March. We deplore the senselessness of the violence and the extensive number of casualties. We also convey our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.

Speakers of Parliaments from South Asia met to discuss the implementation of the SDGs in the region and further defined the opportunities and challenges facing South Asian parliaments in working to implement the SDGs.

The IPU President, Saber Chowdhury has expressed his deep disappointment over, and deplored, the adoption by the Israeli Knesset of the Regularization Law on 6 February 2017. The legislation, an affront to the rule of law, will seriously jeopardize ongoing efforts to secure a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the Middle East, including the two-state solution that the parties have commited to with the strong support of the international community. It will in fact hinder the chances of establishing a viable and sovereign Palestinian State.

The Global Appeal 2017 to End Stigma and Discrimination against People Affected by Leprosy was launched on 30 January in New Delhi by the Nippon Foundation with IPU’s support. The Appeal, endorsed by the IPU Executive Committee, emphasizes that solutions to the challenges faced by people with leprosy must be "firmly embedded in human rights" and urges all parliaments to "promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies".

IPU Secretary General, Martin Chungong, and IPU President, Saber Chowdhury look back at 2016 and at the challenges ahead in 2017. Last year saw parliaments positioning themselves to advance an ambitious new development agenda. The crises that took place in 2016 will mean that this year will be a busy one for parliaments on development, and peace and security.

A Regional Seminar on the SDGs organized by IPU and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) provided a platform for MPs to exchange ideas about the opportunities and challenges associated with achieving the SDGs. The parliamentarians discussed how parliaments can effectively engage in policymaking to facilitate the implementation of the SDGs in the region and their own countries.

On 5 December, IPU President Saber Chowdhury paid an official visit to Serbia at the invitation of the Speaker of Parliament, Ms. Maja Gojkovic, to participate in celebrations to mark the Parliament’s 125th anniversary of its membership of the IPU. The Serbian Parliament was one of the first Members of the IPU, having joined soon after the Organization’s inception, in 1891.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is concerned about the recent arrests and detention of parliamentarians from the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey. The Organization is particularly worried by the allegations that these MPs may have been targeted in response to

I am pleased to be in Ankara today, at the invitation of Mr. Ismail Kahraman, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. We have had substantive and productive discussions, and I very much look forward to our cooperation ahead

The United Nations General Assembly adopted on 25th July by consensus a resolution on Interaction between the United Nations, national parliaments and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

IPU President Saber Chowdhury has welcomed a new UN-IPU cooperation agreement signed yesterday at UN Headquarters in New York