Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 5 September 2026
Lawmakers aged under 40 from around the world gathered this week in Samarkand for the 12th IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians.
Co-hosted by the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan on 4 and 5 September 2026, the Conference was held under the theme Reclaiming human rights, justice and dignity for all in turbulent times.
Over the two days, the young parliamentarians examined how parliaments can protect young people affected by conflict and respond to current challenges including strengthening human rights-based governance of digital technologies, online safety, data privacy, misinformation, climate change, unemployment and political violence.
In their outcome document, the young MPs reaffirmed that human rights are the foundation of safe, dignified and empowered lives. The principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are being tested by new conflicts, emerging technologies, environmental crises and growing economic and political uncertainty. But young people should not be defined by the erosion of rights. The young MPs expressed their determination to turn these setbacks into a source of resolve, solidarity and action, committing themselves to reclaiming human rights and upholding the responsibility of parliaments to promote and protect them.
Focus on jobs and the SDGs
A special session at the Conference considered how parliaments can help implement the SDGs, with particular attention to SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth.
The discussion comes as young people face growing insecurity in the labour market and difficult prospects for finding decent employment.
The lawmakers recognized the Host Parliament’s role in promoting parliamentary engagement with the SDGs at the United Nations. Uzbekistan supported a 2022 General Assembly resolution on enhancing the role of parliaments in accelerating implementation of the SDGs, as well as a resolution this year on accelerating social development.
The resolutions reflect a growing recognition that parliaments should not simply monitor progress on the SDGs, but help turn global commitments into action.
Young MPs remain under-represented
The Conference followed the publication earlier this year of the IPU’s latest biennial report on youth participation in national parliaments.
Published in April 2026, the report found that MPs aged 30 or under accounted for just 2.8% of parliamentarians worldwide, unchanged from 2023. It was the first time since the IPU began tracking youth participation in 2014 that progress had stalled, highlighting a significant democratic deficit in the political representation of young people. The report also found that the proportion of young women MPs aged 30 or under has shrunk, from 1.4% in 2023 to 1.2%, signalling an alarming regression. Recognizing high rates of political violence against women as a key obstacle, women and men MPs received training during the Conference to build their skills to combat this, as part of the Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Women’s Leadership Initiative, funded by the European Union.
Background
The IPU’s Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians was established in 2014 to strengthen youth participation in parliamentary work, provide a platform for young people’s perspectives, and promote networking, solidarity and capacity-building.
The Conference usually rotates around the world. Previous editions have taken place in Switzerland, (2014), Japan (2015); Zambia (2016), Canada (2017), Azerbaijan (2018), Paraguay (2019), online (2021), Egypt (2022), Viet Nam (2023), Armenia (2024) and Peru (2025).
