The IPU facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development around the world.
We help parliaments build peaceful and inclusive societies, fight terrorism and violent extremism and curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Nearly every country in the world has some form of parliament. Parliamentary systems fall into two categories: bicameral and unicameral. Out of 188 national parliaments in the world, 81 are bicameral (162 chambers) and 107 are unicameral, making a total of 269 chambers of parliament with some 44,000 members of parliament. IPU membership is made up of 183 national parliaments
Throughout the year, the IPU and its Members organize many events for parliamentarians to exchange good practices, acquire the latest information and identify avenues for action.
The IPU has been collecting data on parliaments since its inception in 1889, including information on women’s participation in politics since 1945. In this section, discover the IPU's knowledge bank for and about parliaments.
The Working Group on Transparency, Accountability and Openness oversees the implementation of the recommendations of the Transparency Report presented by an independent consultant in April 2020. Its role is to help the IPU to strengthen and follow up on its commitment to transparency, accountability and openness.
Kigali/Geneva, Tuesday, 20 September 2022. The Parliament of Rwanda will host the 145th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and its related meetings in Kigali from 11 to 15 October. More than 1200 delegates, including some 60 Speakers and Deputy
The IPU has made bold commitments and taken steps towards ensuring women and girls’ voices are heard in decision-making, and that young women are politically empowered. The IPU collaborates with strong partners such as the Generation Equality Forum (GEF), a
Dozens of parliamentarians from the Asia-Pacific region have called on the big carbon polluters to shoulder more responsibility for climate change and to meet their obligations under the Paris Agreement. The parliamentarians met in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 13-14 September, for
Democratization is under pressure across the globe. Here are five major threats to democracy, and how to mitigate them. Democracy is as precarious as it is precious. Some 25 years after the IPU issued its Universal Declaration on Democracy, its
It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. On behalf of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and its wider membership, we offer our deepest condolences to the British Royal Family, the Government and
The informal Focus Group of the National Assembly of Serbia for the development of oversight mechanisms on SDG implementation ( SDG Focus Group) was established in 2017 and consists of 15 members from different political parties and parliamentary committees. Members