- ImpactWe help parliaments to become greener and to implement the Paris agreement.We support democracy by strengthening parliamentsWe work to increase women’s representation in parliament and empower women MPs.We defend the human rights of parliamentarians and help them uphold the rights of all.We help parliaments fight terrorism, cyber warfare and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.We encourage youth participation in parliaments and empower young MPs.We support parliaments in implementing the SDGs with a particular focus on health and climate change.
- Parliaments
Nearly every country in the world has some form of parliament. Parliamentary systems fall into two categories: bicameral and unicameral. Out of 190 national parliaments in the world, 78 are bicameral (156 chambers) and 112 are unicameral, making a total of 268 chambers of parliament with some 44,000 members of parliament. IPU membership is made up of 180 national parliamentsFind a national parliament
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We help strengthen parliaments to make them more representative and effective. - Knowledge
Discover the IPU's resources
Our library of essential resources for parliamentsGlobal data for and about national parliamentsLatest data and reports about women in parliamentResolutions, declarations and outcomes adopted by IPU MembersRecent innovations in the way parliaments workThe latest climate change legislation from the London School of Economics' database
Publications
The Handbook for Parliamentarians No. 27 – A Guide to international refugee protection and building state asylum systems, jointly published by the Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) addresses contemporary challenges and sets
The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians is the only international mechanism with the remit of protecting and defending MPs suffering human right violations. This map lists the number of human rights cases being examined by the Committee
The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians is the only international mechanism with the remit of protecting and defending MPs suffering human right violations. This map lists the number of human rights cases being examined by the Committee
The Human Rights Handbook for Parliamentarians is based on the conviction that parliaments and their members can play a key role in delivering concretely on human rights. It is a joint initiative of the IPU and the Office of the
This Handbook is the most recent outcome of many fruitful years of cooperation and partnership between the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the International Committee of the Red Cross. It is specially designed to familiarize parliamentarians with the general principles of the
Child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) is a human rights violation that robs a girl of her childhood, puts her health and growth at risk, disrupts her education, limits her opportunities for empowerment and social development, and increases her risk
This handbook covers the issues, tools and policy responses to international migration.
Download this infographic on the statistics and trends on human rights abuses of MPs during 2015 revealed through the work of IPU's Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians.
There are an estimated 10 million people in the world who are not recognized as a national of any country, i.e. stateless. Every year, tens of thousands of children are born stateless. Statelessness is not just about identity but also
Although indigenous peoples make up five per cent of the global population, they account for one third of the one billion extremely poor rural people. In addition, indigenous peoples suffer widespread violations of rights and are often excluded from decision
Download this infographic on the statistics and trends on human rights abuses of MPs during 2014 revealed through the work of IPU's Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians. This publication is only available in PDF format.
Case studies aim to gather first hand experiences from parliaments on working methods, procedures, challenges and opportunities for working towards more inclusive parliaments. Interviews with leading actors inside and outside parliament inform the preparation of each case study.