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), in close collaboration with the United Nations, is pleased to announce that the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament will take place from 29 to 31 July 2025 at the Palais des Nations, United Nations
As part of the IPU series 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians and experts from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this special edition, we discover Marta Lorenzo, European Director of
A high-level conference for parliaments in West and Central Africa currently experiencing transitions, focusing on The role of transitional legislative institutions in restoring a sustainable constitutional order, has concluded in Libreville, Gabon. The two-day event, on 5 and 6 May