News in brief

The IPU has a long and storied history spanning over 130 years, and perhaps no one influenced the Organization more than Norway’s Christian Lange, the first paid professional Secretary General. In 1921, for his lasting contributions to the cause of

The International Day of Democracy is celebrated around the world on 15 September each year. It was established at the IPU’s request through a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in 2007.

The office of Speaker is an ancient one, with its beginnings going back to the origins of the British Parliament. The Speaker role is an essential feature of the parliamentary system, and of all the Westminster parliamentary traditions, the Speakership has proved to be one of the most durable.

An IPU delegation, led by IPU President Duarte Pacheco and comprising parliamentarians from around the world, is in Venezuela this week. The delegation will hold consultations with a range of stakeholders in a bid to assess the general political situation

The recently published sixth report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a wake-up call for parliamentarians the world over. Eight years in the making, and drawing on the work of hundreds of experts and scientific studies, the report confirms that humans are unequivocally the cause of climate change, and worse, it is occurring faster than previously assumed.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, held each year since 1947 at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, brings together 50,000 local citizens, visitors, and dignitaries from all over the world. They gather to commemorate the 140,000 people instantly killed by an atomic bomb at 8.15 on the morning of 6 August 1945. They also come to pray for lasting world peace. To that end, the IPU continues to diligently support parliamentarians around the globe to do more to abolish nuclear weapons.

On this occasion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the IPU honours MPs who were once Olympic athletes. Judging from the number of Olympians serving in the world’s parliaments, it could be argued that the drive and commitment required to become a world-class athlete are the same qualities necessary for excellence in parliamentary work. There are hundreds of such exceptional MPs scattered across every region of the world, both retired and currently serving. Their character and dedication are exemplified by the following individuals:

“Get Government Back”! That was the message from the IPU’s Parliamentary Forum coinciding with the United Nations High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF), held in New York from 6-15 July.

In preparation for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in November 2021 in Glasgow, the IPU hosted a virtual inter-parliamentary meeting on COP26 on 24 June, in collaboration with the British Group of the IPU and the Italian Chamber of Deputies. COP26 will bring together parties from around the world to advance action on climate change to meet the goals and objectives of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

What would a truly equal generation look like? Convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the governments of France and Mexico, this is the question panellists debated at last week’s Generation Equality Forum in Paris.

The IPU will receive an additional two million Canadian dollars in funding to support its gender equality work in parliament. The three-year project, Gender Equality in Politics, is designed to support the IPU’s work in increasing women’s political empowerment. The funding will also help strengthen the capacity of parliaments to support gender equality at a national level.

The IPU and the Shura Council of Qatar reinforced their cooperation this week with the signature of a new Memorandum of Understanding between Mr. Ahmed Bin Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, Speaker of the Shura Council, and Mr. Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General.

The Inter-Parliamentary Conference for International Arbitration – later called the Inter‑Parliamentary Union – was officially born on 30 June 1889. Its foundation was driven by two remarkable parliamentarians – William Randal Cremer, a British MP and Frédéric Passy, a French MP – who were driven by a passion for international mediation as a means to resolve conflict. It was against a background of challenging international conflicts that demanded a platform for dialogue that the British and French founders created the organization to provide a place for countries to negotiate and arbitrate, instead of clash and conflict.

Which is the oldest parliament in the world? And the newest? Which chambers have the most women parliamentarians? And how many parliamentarians are there in the world? Watch this 1-minute video to find out more about parliaments on International Day

On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on 19 June, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (OSRSG-SVC), Under-Secretary-General Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary -General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC), and Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the IPU signed a new Framework of Cooperation Agreement.

The IPU and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) renewed their partnership today with the signature of a new Memorandum of Understanding between Ms. Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Mr

The in-person segment of the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament will be held in Vienna, Austria on 7-8 September. The conference will be preceded by the Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament on 6 September. Organized jointly by

2020 was a game-changer for the IPU. Starting in March, the IPU had to completely reinvent itself to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on its activities. Despite the lockdowns and restrictions on international travel, we remained open for business

The Sahel could potentially be one of the richest regions in the world if a comprehensive and multidimensional framework like those offered by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be implemented. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Sahel

Half the world’s population is under 30 and yet only 2.6% of MPs globally represent this age group. The IPU has identified six ways to change this. Discover our campaign here and take two minutes to pick one or more