On a warm summer’s day in 1889, a historic gathering took place in the heart of Paris, France. On 30 June, a group of parliamentarians from nine countries convened at the Hotel Continental for the very first Inter-Parliamentary Conference. Among the 94 delegates present were representatives from Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Liberia, Spain, […]
A major new study by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in partnership with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), has exposed the pervasive nature of sexism, harassment and violence against women in parliaments across the Asia-Pacific region. The report, Sexism, harassment and violence against women in parliaments in the Asia-Pacific region, is […]
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will hold its 150th Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 5 to 9 April 2025, hosted by the Parliament of Uzbekistan. The overall theme Parliamentary action for social development and justice will cover topics such as eradicating poverty, promoting decent work, fostering social inclusion, and increasing the participation of marginalized groups in decision-making. Key […]
The IPU concluded its Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians, held on 14 and 15 March 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico, emphasizing the urgent need for gender parity in parliaments worldwide. The Conference, attended by some 380 parliamentarians from 56 countries, as well as representatives from the Government of Mexico, international organizations and civil society, highlighted successful […]
New data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women reveals limited progress in achieving gender equality in political leadership at the start of 2025, the year which marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the landmark UN framework which set out the roadmap for gender equality and women’s rights. […]
As we mark International Women’s Day 2025 and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, Equality Now, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN Women are calling for expedited action to end gender discrimination in nationality laws and recommit to efforts to achieve gender-equal nationality rights around the […]
A new IPU report analysing three decades of women in national parliaments reveals that the percentage of seats held by women has risen from 11.3% in 1995 to 27.2% in 2025. The IPU report Women in parliament 1995-2025 commemorates 30 years since the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the landmark UN framework which set out […]
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is pleased to announce the Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians From Mexico to the World: Let’s mobilize for gender parity! which will be held in Mexico City from 13 to 16 March 2025. The Conference is being jointly organized by the IPU and the Senate of Mexico. The Conference aims to identify successful […]
Parliament can strengthen its capacity to design forward-looking national strategies and foster foresight-based governance by collaborating with external experts to leverage collective intelligence. This approach allows parliament to overcome its internal resource limitations and anticipate future challenges by integrating external knowledge and expertise to create innovative solutions. For this reason, many parliaments actively engage with […]
The United Nations Development Programme defines Parliamentary Committees for the Future, which exist under various names, as “parliamentary bodies responsible for issues related to anticipating and prospecting the future in the context of parliamentary activity”. The first such committee was established by the Parliament of Finland in 1993, pioneering a parliamentary approach to addressing long-term national strategies […]
