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News in brief
malian child- health

Malian Parliament working to increase gender equality

As part of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on gender equality, the National Assembly of Mali and the IPU organized a workshop on improving women’s representation in parliament from 27 to 28 February 2019 in Bamako. The
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syria

MPs consider the issue of foreign terrorist fighters

Parliamentarians from 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa are meeting in Egypt this week at a high-level regional conference to discuss the role of parliaments in combatting terrorism and violent extremism. The high-level regional conference will focus
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Zambian Parliament assessestment exercise

Zambian Parliament assesses its performance and oversight function

As part of its work to help parliaments strengthen themselves, the IPU facilitated a six-day self-assessment with the National Assembly of Zambia. The exercise, which took place in Lusaka from 20 to 25 February 2019, used two of the IPU’s
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flags

IPU-UN 2019 Annual Hearing - Emerging Challenges to Multilateralism: A Parliamentary Response

On 21 and 22 February, the IPU and the United Nations, represented by the President of the General Assembly, brought together more than 200 parliamentarians from over 60 countries, as well as ambassadors, representatives from UN organizations, and experts for
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Woman cycling with child

Implementing the Paris Agreement in Zimbabwe and Burundi

The IPU and the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) have organized recently two workshops to help the parliaments of Zimbabwe and Burundi put in place the Paris Agreement on climate change. Over 300 MPs and parliamentary staff attended the
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sustainable development

Supporting sustainable development in the Middle East and North Africa

On 24–25 January 2019, the IPU helped co-organize the Arab Regional Parliamentary Forum on the 2030 Agenda with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Islamic Development Bank Group
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Chad law

Helping the Chad Parliament draft better laws

As part of the IPU’s technical support to parliaments, a group of experts from the IPU was in N’Djamena in December 2018 to help strengthen the parliament as well as guide MPs on crafting better legislation, particularly around the Sustainable
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UK Parliament makes ‘steady progress’ on gender equality

The UK Gender Sensitive Parliament Audit, published today, finds that steady progress has been made in increasing the representation of women in both Houses of Parliament, but there are still too many barriers to women standing as MPs or putting themselves forward to the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
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solar panels

MPs call for bolder action to fight climate change

Nearly 200 parliamentarians and climate experts have called for urgent and bold action to implement the Paris Agreement before it’s too late. At a parliamentary meeting on 9 December in Krakow, Poland, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference known as COP24, they set out their vision of the measures needed to limit global warming.
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trade

Parliamentarians push for bigger role at WTO

Members of Parliament called for stronger ties between parliaments and the WTO at a time when the rules-based multilateral trading system is in deepening crisis. At the annual session of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization (PCWTO), the IPU and the European Parliament called for WTO members to strengthen the parliamentary dimension of the WTO to ensure its democratic legitimacy. .
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A Central American migrant boy, plays in a tent while camping near a closed temporary shelter a few meters from the US-Mexico border in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on December 5, 2018

Bringing a parliamentary dimension to the Global Compact on Migration

Preceding the Intergovernmental Conference on Migration taking place in Marrakech from 10 to 11 December 2018, MPs met at a parliamentary conference in Rabat, organized by the IPU and the Moroccan Parliament, from 6 to 7 December. The parliamentary conference follows the Declaration on Strengthening the Global Regime for Migrants and Refugees adopted by MPs during the IPU’s 138 th Assembly in March 2018.
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Former Swedish MP Ulrika Karlsson at the launch of the IPU/PACE report in October. ©IPU/P. Albouy

Parliaments are failing women MPs

By Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on parliaments to build
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Parliaments promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law

The IPU and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) brought together close to 20 Parliaments, dozens of MPs, representatives of civil society, and the wider international community to the second session of the Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law on 22-23 November in Geneva. The second session focused on the role that parliaments play in promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
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Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih © AFP

IPU welcomes smooth transition in the Maldives

On the day of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s inauguration as President, the IPU welcomes the positive developments in the Maldives after years of political instability. The IPU has been actively involved in the peace-building process in Maldives, notably defending the rights
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Parliaments working without borders on the global goals

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a blueprint for ensuring a better and sustainable future for everyone. Parliaments play a crucial role in driving that agenda and ensuring progress towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the global goals. The IPU, as the global convener of parliaments, has held almost 20 regional SDG seminars over the last few years, as well as several national ones. The next regional seminar in this series takes place in Jerusalem from 20 to 22 November 2018.
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Statelessness handbook cover

IPU and UNHCR call for parliamentary action to end statelessness

The IPU and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) published today Good practices in nationality laws for the prevention and reduction of statelessness, a new handbook for policy makers and legislators. The handbook is designed to help parliaments to effectively prevent and reduce statelessness.
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Participants at seminar

Caribbean parliaments push for action on climate change

Small island developing states (SIDS) are particularly vulnerable to climate change: rising sea levels and extreme weather threaten their very existence. Earlier this month, on 5-6 November, parliamentarians from 10 Caribbean countries, including many island states, met at a regional
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Celebrating Geneva Peace Week

The IPU will be co-organizing two events during Geneva Peace Week from 5 to 9 November 2018.
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Group photo

IPU wraps up the P20

In the run-up to the G20 Summit, Speakers of Parliament from the 20 leading economies of the world have committed to working together to address challenges such as the future of work, financing development, the fight against corruption, the empowerment of women and youth, education, and a renewed commitment to multilateralism.
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Rohingya refugees

IPU Member Parliaments walking the talk

Parliamentarians are good at taking the floor to speak. Indeed the origin of the word “parliament” comes from the French "parlementer”- to speak until you reach an agreement. However, beyond the words, IPU Member Parliaments also follow up on IPU assemblies, initiatives and resolutions with concrete actions. At the 139 th Assembly in October 2018, IPU Member Parliaments reported on measures they had taken over the past years as a result of IPU activity.
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