- 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
The Swiss National Council © The Swiss Parliament
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 annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held over a year. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (2 March), it
The annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held over a year. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (2 March), it
The World e-Parliament Conference 2007 took place in Geneva on 11 October 2007. The event, jointly organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments, through the
The World e-Parliament Report 2008 represents a first effort to establish a baseline of how parliaments are using, or planning to use ICT to help them fulfill their responsibilities and to connect to their constituencies. The Report is based on
This publication is the result of survey research conducted by the IPU between 2006 and 2008. It collates insights from both men and women parliamentarians into the factors that shape decision making. It provides concrete examples of how parliamentarians are
As part of its efforts to strengthen the capacity of parliaments to promote gender equality and respect for women's rights, the IPU organised its second meeting of members of parliamentary bodies dealing with gender issues in Geneva, in December 2007
The Second Annual Conference of Women Parliamentarians and Women in Political Decision-Making Positions of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States took place in Abu Dhabi on 30 and 31 October 2007. Women parliamentarians and women in politics from Bahrain, Kuwait
The annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held over a year. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (2 March), it
The annual brochure provides an overview and analysis of progress made and setbacks encountered by women in parliament further to elections and renewals held over a year. Produced every year on the occasion of International Women's Day (2 March), it
Reports
How does a nation deal with a legacy of extensive human rights abuse, and thus with the moral, legal and political dilemmas most commonly associated with post-conflict transitions? The regional seminar made it possible for parliamentarians of African countries to
From 25 to 27 May 2005, the House of Parliaments was host of the Seminar on Freedom of Expression, Parliament and the Promotion of Tolerant Societies. In organising this event, the Inter-Parliamentary Union had associated itself with an expert organization
Published on the occasion of the 50th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women which reviewed progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, this information kit is composed of six data sheets