Today – on 16 April 2020 – we were supposed to meet in Geneva at the opening of the regular 142nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. As you know, the Assembly has been postponed, as have practically all major multilateral meetings planned for this time. The human race faces a new global threat, the biggest […]
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have taken sweeping steps – even declared states of emergency – to stop the spread of the virus and protect their populations. Most of these steps have important consequences for human rights. How can basic human rights standards guide country efforts to respond to the health […]
Women are on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the OECD, 70 per cent of health workers are women. Women make up the majority of carers in the home and workers in grocery stores or pharmacies. The economic downturn will disproportionately affect women more than men. Women workers are also more likely than […]
Joint Statement The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments and empowers parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development. Working together within this institution, we strongly support the UN Secretary-General’s appeal for an immediate global ceasefire in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coronavirus is a common enemy of all people in the […]
Opinion Piece by Helga Fogstad, Executive Director, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), and Martin Chungong, Board Member, PMNCH, and Secretary General of the IPU. On this World Health Day, occurring in the midst of the greatest pandemic the world has seen since the 1918 influenza, we are reminded of the centrality of […]
The IPU continues to be concerned about the fate of opposition MPs in detention in Venezuela particularly in Iight of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, people in prison and other confined places of detention, are more vulnerable to the coronavirus disease outbreak than the general population. The IPU renews its calls […]
Release by the House of Commons Influential House of Commons Select Committees – such as the Treasury Committee – are now hosting ‘virtual’ meetings to enable MPs to hold the Government to account during the coronavirus crisis. Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said the temporary measure will mean there is no need for MPs to attend […]
Release by the House of Commons on 1 April 2020 Parliament should be able to operate ‘virtually’ if the UK ‘is still in the grip of the coronavirus crisis’ at the time the House is due to return on 21 April, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has insisted. MPs should still be able to take part […]
Parliaments are currently subject to the same public health and social distancing measures as schools, places of worship or businesses. Yet, in a time of crisis, the role of parliament is more vital than ever to pass emergency laws, allocate resources and scrutinize government action. So how can parliaments continue to function in a time […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic shuts or slows down vast swathes of global activity, how are parliaments facilitating the implementation of the emergency health measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)? What impact is physical distancing and confinement having on the way parliaments function? How can parliaments debate, pass legislation and scrutinize the actions of […]
