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 IPU is following with great concern the fighting in Israel and the Gaza Strip. We strongly condemn the attacks by Hamas against Israeli towns and are concerned by reports that citizens have been taken hostage. We offer our deepest
The 147th IPU Assembly will be held in Luanda, Angola, from 23 to 27 October 2023, hosted by the National Assembly of Angola. The IPU Assembly will provide a platform for parliamentarians, partner organizations and experts to share good practice
The IPU notes with interest the verdict delivered by the Swiss district criminal court of Rorschach (St. Gallen) in the case of the Belarusian opposition parliamentarian Mr. Victor Gonchar (Hanchar). Mr. Gonchar disappeared in September 1999, along with opposition colleague
Geneva, Switzerland, 29 September 2023. For immediate release Digital tools have never been more important for the effective functioning of parliaments. A new IPU guide to digital transformation provides a blueprint for parliaments to effectively scale up their use of