Press releases

Legislators from around the world met in Vienna, Austria today for the First Global Parliamentary Summit on Counter-Terrorism. Co-organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The world’s top legislators gathered in Vienna, Austria this week for the first major in-person international parliamentary meeting in over 18 months. The Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament brought together close to 100 Speakers from some 115 national parliaments and the heads of over a dozen regional and other parliamentary organizations.

The Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, the world’s largest gathering of the highest level of parliamentary representation, will take place in Vienna, Austria on 7-8 September.

The new edition of the IPU World e-Parliament Report reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a catalyst for parliaments, with many embracing new technology to modernize and, as a result, engaging better with the people they represent.

On 30 June, the IPU and its Member Parliaments will mark the International Day of Parliamentarism with a number of events focusing on youth empowerment following the recent launch of the IPU campaign I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament!

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, welcome the adoption of a resolution and publication of a report in support of refugees by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The PACE

IPU Member Parliaments have committed to taking action to address alleged human rights violations suffered by MPs in a number of countries, including Egypt, Libya, Myanmar, Philippines, Turkey, Yemen and Zimbabwe. Many of the cases concern actual physical violence against parliamentarians, including against women and young MPs.

Over 1000 parliamentarians and experts from 135 countries connected this week to the concluding sessions of the 142nd IPU Assembly, held online for the first time. Over 37 per cent of registered MPs were women and some 26 per cent

The global proportion of MPs aged under 30 has edged up to 2.6 per cent, according to the latest IPU report on Youth Participation in National Parliaments. This represents an increase of 0.4 percentage points compared with two years ago

The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians is monitoring a record 601 cases of alleged violations against parliamentarians around the world. This represents a significant uptick compared to 552 cases in December 2020. The caseload includes many new

Despite increases in the number of women at the highest levels of political power, widespread gender inequalities persist, according to the 2021 edition of the IPU-UN Women Map of Women in Politics. The IPU-UN Women Map presents new data for

View the monthly ranking of women in national parliaments Following elections in 2020, the global proportion of women in parliament reached a record 25.5 per cent, representing an increase of 0.6 points compared with 2019, according to the IPU’s latest

To provide guidance in what can sometimes be a challenging and even dangerous space, the IPU has published a new Social Media Guide for Parliaments and Parliamentarians. The guide is designed as a practical tool on how to use social

In the lead-up to Human Rights Day on 10 December, the IPU has released its yearly figures on the human rights abuses experienced by parliamentarians around the world. The numbers confirm an upward trend of reported violations against parliamentarians. They

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