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 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 181 national Member Parliaments and
On the eve of International Day of Parliamentarism and the Organization’s 136th anniversary on 30 June, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has released the results of its annual parliamentarians’ perceptions poll. The results provide a comprehensive snapshot of the views, motivations
On 30 June 1889, visionary parliamentarians Frédéric Passy of France and William Randall Cremer of the United Kingdom brought together MPs from Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Liberia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the USA in the first inter-parliamentary meeting
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the global organization of national parliaments with a membership of 181 Member Parliaments and 15 Associate Members. The IPU promotes democratic governance, institutions and values, working with parliaments and parliamentarians to articulate and respond to
Parliamentarians and religious leaders from around the world have issued a powerful call for peace, hope and solidarity at the conclusion of the Second Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue: Strengthening trust and embracing hope for our common future. The event
Parliaments all over the world are celebrating the International Day of Parliamentarism and the IPU's 136th anniversary! This page lists the information that we have received to date about parliamentary events all over the world.
The IPU has released the second part of its groundbreaking Parliamentary report on religion and belief. Part 2 of the report, Engagement with religion and belief by parliamentarians underscores the vital role of MPs in fostering peaceful, just and inclusive