Case studies

To shape a more sustainable, equitable future, young people will need democratic skills. Here’s how the Austrians are leading the change.

As part of the IPU’s climate campaign Parliaments for the Planet, we are focusing on good climate practice by parliaments around the world which can be replicated elsewhere. The European Parliament, an IPU Associate Member, is a good example of

Parliament buildings are often statements revealing a country’s vision, traditions and culture. Here are the five types of plenary halls and their political significance. As former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill commented: “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings

Helping young people to learn about parliament is vital for the future of democracy. Parliaments have been engaging young people in recent decades in various ways, such as school tours, role play games, youth parliaments and competitions. The common aim

In many countries, MPs face significant risks for simply doing their jobs. In some extreme cases, MPs who are critical of the governing powers are incarcerated, tortured or even murdered. Those responsible for such acts rarely face any legal consequences

Although the buildings that house Lithuania’s Seimas are relatively recent compared to the parliament buildings of some of its European neighbours (the construction of the first building began in 1976), the Seimas has still been able to take a number

Parliaments often seek to reflect citizens' diverse ideas and expertise in their law-making and budgeting activities. By expanding contacts with experts and interested citizens on specific issues, parliamentarians can increase their understanding of the problems at stake and respond more

The Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. The landlocked mountainous country has a fragile ecosystem with around 2,700 glaciers which are beginning to melt, causing floods and landslides. The country suffers from prolonged

Renewed IPU efforts and advocacy have brought new ratifications to international treaties on peace and security, including both the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The ratification of such treaties does not necessarily bring

Democracy requires that MPs are connected with their constituents, explaining their work to them and ensuring that constituents’ needs are represented. In Djibouti, one of the hottest and smallest countries in Africa, the IPU has been helping with that two-way

Climate change is never far from the news in Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands east of the African mainland, whose economy and people depend heavily on their environment. Like many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the country’s two key

The Parliament of Zimbabwe has recently launched two initiatives to engage more youth and women in parliament. A new voluntary Youth Caucus has been set up to spearhead the inclusion of youth-related issues in the legislative process. The goal is

Elections in Colombia saw a political shift in 2022, and the greatest gains in terms of women’s representation in the Americas. The new government includes Francia Márquez, the country’s first Afro-Colombian vice-president and only the second woman to hold this

In 2022, Australia achieved record-breaking shares of women in both chambers of parliament, making it, along with New Zealand, the subregion with the highest average proportion of women MPs across both houses (46.4%). The Senate of Australia was the only

Changemaker Ms. Puan Maharani is the first woman and third youngest Speaker of the House of Representatives of Indonesia. She was among the first Speakers to sign up to the “I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament!” Campaign, and championed

After signing up to the “I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament!” campaign, the first woman Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, Changemaker Ms. Nelly Mutti, helped establish a groundbreaking new youth body, the ‘Zambia Youth Parliamentary Caucus’ (ZYPC)

The pandemic was an unprecedented challenge for parliaments and highlighted shortcomings in MP onboarding and personal development programmes globally. Canada’s House of Commons researched ways to improve these: here’s the system it came up with.

What happens after an IPU Assembly? What actions do the IPU Member Parliaments take once they get back home? IPU Members are strongly encouraged to follow up on resolutions and outcomes that come out of any IPU Assembly across an

The informal Focus Group of the National Assembly of Serbia for the development of oversight mechanisms on SDG implementation (SDG Focus Group) was established in 2017 and consists of 15 members from different political parties and parliamentary committees. Members coordinate

The Uganda Parliamentary Forum on SDGs (UPFSDGs) was originally tasked to oversee implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, but transitioned to include oversight of the SDGs. The Forum focuses its work on ensuring that national development policies and legislation are