News in brief

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

One in three people globally suffers from at least one form of malnutrition, and the economic loss attributable to bad nutrition is estimated at US$ 3.5 trillion per year. Recent research on the worldwide burden of disease found that a

IPU President, Mr. Duarte Pacheco and IPU Secretary General, Mr. Martin Chungong met today a group of Myanmar parliamentarians elected in the general election of November 2020 but prevented from taking their seats in the new parliament following the military

In one of his first trips abroad as IPU President, Duarte Pacheco visited India in the week of 15 March 2021. During the visit, he met with the leaders of both houses of Parliament, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha

Following a virtual event on 18 November 2020, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth published today a call to action on young women’s participation in politics. The call to action identifies three

The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians has renewed its calls to national authorities to bring to account those involved in the past abuse of members of parliament, including murder. Although some of the cases are more than

On 17 and 18 February, the IPU and the United Nations brought together some 400 parliamentarians, as well as diplomats, representatives from civil society and experts for a virtual sitting of the Annual Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations. This

The unfolding tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic also offers parliaments a unique chance to address climate change while rebuilding and reimagining national economies. A new IPU policy note, Green approaches to COVID-19 recovery: Policy note for parliamentarians, published in partnership

As the pandemic threw most of the world into turmoil, the IPU remained open for business to support its Members and continue its work of empowering parliaments and parliamentarians for democracy. Discover our end-of-year animation here.

Results from a recent IPU study show that 58 per cent of parliaments were involved to varying degrees in assessing national progress towards the UN global goals this year, compared with 38 per cent in 2019. Every year, countries sign

On 25 November, the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, the IPU and the Kofi Annan Foundation organized a webinar with key actors to evaluate successful policy responses to violence against women in politics (VAWP). Eliminating Violence against

On 18 November 2020, thirty-four members of Sierra Leone’s parliament held a day-long meeting on Engaging Members of Parliament on Female Genital Mutilation: An innovative approach to attaining SDG 5. These select members represent the newly formed first-ever parliamentary Caucus

Twenty-five years after the Beijing Declaration to advance women’s rights, young women are still one of the most under-represented groups in political leadership positions. IPU figures show that only 2.2 per cent of MPs worldwide are under 30, of which

Assuring our Common Future is a new guide for parliaments to support disarmament for security and sustainable development. The IPU contributed to the guide in partnership with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Parliamentarians for Global Action, Parliamentarians for Nuclear

In a new research paper, the IPU shines the spotlight on parliamentary staff, the people who support the Members of Parliament. The paper analyses key dimensions of parliamentary autonomy in administrations – from recruitment practices to budgetary powers – across