The IPU Committee on Middle East Questions held an extraordinary virtual meeting on 5 February 2024, against the backdrop of the protracted conflict in Gaza. The meeting, chaired by the President of the Committee, Mr. Hubert Julien-Laferrière of France, brought together parliamentarians from the Middle East and around the world, including representatives from the Israeli Knesset and […]
From 29-31 January 2024, BGIPU hosted a delegation from the Hellenic Parliament. The delegation was led by Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos accompanied by the Mr. Stavros Kalafatis, Mr. Christos Dermentzopoulos, Mrs. Dionysia Avgerinopoulou, Mr. Symeon Kedikoglou and Panagiotis Doudonis. The delegation began their visit with a tour of the Palace provided by Tim Loughton MP. He […]
Putting an end to conflicts: Prescriptions for a peaceful future, will be the theme of the 2024 Annual Parliamentary Hearing, a joint initiative between the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). IPU President Tulia Ackson and UNGA President Dennis Francis will host some 300 participants, including parliamentarians, Speakers of […]
This was my first visit to Costa Rica and Panama, as part of a delegation alongside seasoned experts in the region, Baroness Hooper and Lord Mountevans. The visit was immensely informative and was arranged impeccably by the hosts and our Embassies in both countries, with the advantage too that for most of the time in […]
No visit to Panama would be complete without a look at the Canal Locks in action. We met with the President of the Canal Authority, Aristedes Royo Sanchez, who is a former President of Panama and father of the current Ambassador to London, Natalia Royo, and Victor Vial, the VP for Finance. The Canal is […]
Unusually and unexpectedly our delegation consisted of three Peers, Baroness Northover, Lord Mountevans and myself, supported by Holly Sloan from the BGIPU Secretariat. The original delegation had been carefully selected to reflect balance and ongoing interest in the Region. This was scuppered by the House of Commons Whips who, it appears, no longer accept the […]
According to the latest data compiled by the IPU on its data platform, Parline, 72 elections or renewals of parliamentary chambers will take place this year, compared to 65 last year. Among those, 55 parliamentary chambers will be directly elected while the others will be indirectly elected or appointed. Roughly half the world’s population is expected to […]
Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, has just concluded a mission to Gabon at the invitation of the President of the Transitional National Assembly, Jean-François Ndongou, to meet the authorities in charge of the country’s transition. The visit is part of the IPU’s wider efforts to monitor developments in trouble spots, to defend democratic institutions and […]
Tulia Ackson, Speaker of the Parliament of Tanzania, became the 31st IPU President following elections in October 2023. In her first IPU interview last November, she describes her journey to the Presidency and outlines her main priorities for the next three years.
