BGIPU welcomes IPU President and Secretary General to Westminster
The British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU) welcomed the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Dr Tulia Ackson, and its new Secretary General, Anda Filip, to Westminster on 9 September 2026. Their visit provided an opportunity for parliamentarians from across both Houses and parties to discuss the UK’s contribution to the IPU and the priorities for their continuing work together.
Dr Ackson and Ms Filip met the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, before touring Parliament with BGIPU Chair Fabian Hamilton MP and observing Prime Minister’s Questions. At a working lunch, they met BGIPU Officers and members of the UK delegation preparing for the next IPU Assembly. They later held a wider discussion with members of BGIPU’s Executive Committee.
The programme gave members an opportunity to exchange views directly with the IPU’s political and executive leadership. Discussions focused on the value of parliamentary dialogue across national and political differences, the effectiveness of IPU Assemblies, and how the IPU and its member groups can work together to strengthen democratic institutions, advance human rights and support peaceful engagement.
The visitors also met Stephen Twigg, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and took part in a discussion on building parliamentary capacity to address artificial intelligence. On 10 September, Ms Filip visited the BGIPU Secretariat and joined a further parliamentary discussion on extreme AI risks.
The visit carried particular significance for BGIPU. The IPU traces its origins to the cooperation of British parliamentarian William Randal Cremer and French parliamentarian Frédéric Passy, whose efforts to bring parliamentarians together in pursuit of peaceful dispute resolution led to its founding in 1889. More than 130 years later, BGIPU continues that tradition by bringing UK parliamentarians into the IPU’s work and supporting dialogue with their counterparts around the world.
Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, meets the IPU President and Secretary General
BGIPU Chair Fabian Hamilton MP hosted the IPU leadership to the Palace of Westminster
The President and Secretary General also met Stephen Twigg, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, also accompanied by Jarvis Matiya, Deputy SG of CPA
