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.
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
IPU President and Mexican Senator Gabriela Cuevas talks about how the Mexican authorities have been consulting with various groups in the country to achieve the SDGs, including indigenous peoples. She also talks about how the IPU helps parliaments to achieve
Jiko Fatafehi Luveni, Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji, explains what Fiji is doing to achieve the SDGs. The priorities are to address poverty and improve levels of unemployment. Ms. Luveni was attending the parliamentary side events at the UN
Lucian Romascanu, Romanian MP, speaks about Romania's commitment to achieving SDGs and which Goals are particularly important for the country, such as sustainable consumption and gender equality. He was at the Parliamentary side event at the UN High Level Political