Press releases

New allegations of human rights violations against parliamentarians in countries holding elections have recently been brought to the attention of the IPU. The cases involve opposition MPs whose basic rights to freedom of expression, assembly and movement have reportedly been

Mr. Duarte Pacheco has been elected as the 30th President of the IPU after an unprecedented online election during an extraordinary virtual session of the IPU’s Governing Council, its main decision-making body made up of parliamentarians from around the world

Over 115 of the world’s top legislators took part in the virtual Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament on 19 and 20 August 2020, under the overall theme of Parliamentary leadership for more effective multilateralism that delivers peace and

The first part of the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament will take place virtually on 19 and 20 August 2020, organized by the IPU in partnership with the Parliament of Austria and the United Nations. Over 250 Speakers

On 30 June, on the third edition of International Day of Parliamentarism, the IPU concludes its 130th anniversary year with the publication of a book outlining its achievements over the past 13 decades and including contributions from dozens of its

The IPU is increasingly concerned about parliamentarians in detention during the COVID-19 pandemic due to greater risks of infection in overcrowded and confined spaces. In its first virtual sitting, the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians paid particular

On International Day of Multilateralism on 24 April, information collected by the IPU shows that parliaments all over the world are working together in their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its campaign Parliaments in a time of pandemic, the

Women’s representation in political decision-making continues to increase but at a sluggish pace according to new data presented in the 2020 edition of the IPU‑UN Women map of Women in Politics. The data’s publication coincides with the 25-year review of

A quarter of a century after the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the overall percentage of women in parliaments has reached 24.9 per cent in 2020, up from 11.3 per cent in 1995. In four countries

The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians has released new evidence of human rights violations against 509 parliamentarians from 39 countries, a significant increase compared with the 468 cases that were recorded in October 2019. Most of the

In the lead-up to Human Rights Day on 10 December, the IPU has announced its yearly figures of alleged human rights violations against members of parliament in 2019. The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, a unique mechanism

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the IPU has published a comprehensive set of guidelines to combat sexual harassment and violence against women in parliament. The guidelines offer advice and practical information

Hosted by the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), and organized by the IPU in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the African Regional Parliamentary Conference on Comprehensive Responses to Refugee Situations – Effective Parliamentary Approaches, took place from

The House of Councillors of the National Diet of Japan, in close cooperation with the IPU, brought together parliamentarians from the world’s 20 major economies at the sixth G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday 4 November. The

A landmark resolution calling for parliaments to take all legal and policy measures to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030 has been adopted by the world’s parliaments gathered in Serbia for the 141st IPU Assembly.

At the 141st IPU Assembly in Belgrade, Serbia, IPU Member Parliaments condemned human rights violations against a record number of new cases of abused MPs.

Policies from Rwanda, Estonia, United Kingdom, Nepal, South Africa and Senegal are among this year’s winners of the “oscars" for best policies.

Over 1700 parliamentarians and UN and civil society partners from around the world will meet in Belgrade, Serbia, from 13 to 17 October for the 141st IPU Assembly.

Parliamentarians at risk around the world/ Violence against women politicians - US Congress Events on Thursday 19 September The IPU will be in Washington, D.C., on Thursday 19 September for two events open to Members of the US Congress, congressional

This week, the IPU and the New Zealand Parliament will jointly host a seminar on tackling the global spread of illicit weapons. The seminar focuses on implementing United Nations Security Council resolution 1540. This resolution imposes obligations on all states