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.
As part of a new IPU series called 'A conversation with', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover Cecilia Widegren, a Member of Parliament
The IPU and the parliamentary community call on governments to give fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination through support for COVAX, the only global mechanism to distribute vaccines equitably across the world. The positive news of the roll-out of
Celebration of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on 22 January 2021 The Inter-Parliamentary Union welcomes the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons which sets a new
Background The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the global organization of parliaments. It was founded in 1889 as the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Today, the IPU comprises 179 national Member Parliaments
Background Members of parliament must be free to enjoy their human rights. If not, how can they defend and promote the rights of those who elected them? Yet, around the world vocal parliamentarians find themselves under threat. In order to
Background The IPU is the global organization of parliaments. It was founded in 1889 as the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Today, the IPU comprises 179 national Member Parliaments and 13