Leadership message for 2024: Upholding the IPU’s founding values of peacebuilding
End-of-year message from the IPU leadership
In a year marked by the highest number of countries in conflict since World War II, the IPU theme of the year – peace and security – resonated strongly, aligning with the founding values of the IPU, which was born out of the peace movement in 1889.
Despite immense global challenges, we achieved several significant milestones that reinforced our commitment to international cooperation and dialogue.
Geneva: Capital of parliamentary diplomacy
Our 148th and 149th IPU Assemblies in Geneva were pivotal moments, at which hundreds of parliamentarians from around the world reaffirmed their dedication to inter-parliamentary dialogue and international cooperation.
The IPU continued to offer unique spaces for parliamentary diplomacy between opposing sides through its bodies, including the Task Force for the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine and the Committee on Middle East Questions.
Our efforts to assist the rebuilding of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan underscored the complementary role of parliamentary efforts alongside governmental peace initiatives. The Speakers of the two parliaments met twice this year through the good offices of the IPU and agreed to meet again in 2025.
These initiatives link closely to our broader goal of promoting human security and common security, as outlined in a new toolkit, Human security and common security to build peace, which proposes a people-centred approach to decision-making for parliamentarians.
Embracing technology to enhance democracy
The 149th IPU Assembly, which took place in the lead up to the second anniversary of the release of ChatGPT, adopted a landmark resolution on The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
The resolution serves as a parliamentary blueprint for harnessing AI’s potential while mitigating its risks, urging parliaments to develop robust legal frameworks for responsible AI use.
It sits well alongside the IPU Charter on the Ethics of Science and Technology – also adopted at the Assembly – which is intended to create a regulatory framework of principles to guide legislation and decision-making, ensuring that science and technology serve to benefit humanity, society and the environment.
Our recent publications: the World e-Parliament Report 2024, Guidelines for AI in parliaments, and Use cases for AI in parliaments, aim to enhance parliamentary efficiency and productivity, ultimately strengthening democracy.
Tackling climate change
On the International Day of Parliamentarism and the IPU’s 135th anniversary on 30 June 2024, our first global MP perceptions poll revealed that climate change (43%) and war (27%) continue to be the top concerns of global lawmakers.
This reinforced our strategy to enhance the IPU’s presence at COP29, the UN Climate Change Conference, held this year in Baku, Azerbaijan, with a longer and more substantial Parliamentary Meeting within the actual site of the Conference, at the heart of the negotiating process.
In their final outcome document, MPs agreed to encourage governments to invest more in “accelerating the transition to clean, in particular renewable, energy” as well as to make “efforts to transition towards clean energy systems through gradual transition from fossil fuels and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies in a just, orderly and equitable manner.”
At the meeting, the IPU launched a new guide, 10 actions for stronger national climate commitments, and a new toolkit, Parliamentary oversight of national climate commitments, to encourage parliamentarians to enhance their oversight of national climate commitments, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
With the 2025 deadline for NDC submission approaching, these tools offer a critical window for parliaments to shape their countries’ climate futures.
Rebooting gender equality
With roughly half the world’s population going to the polls in 2024, we started the year with high hopes for increased women’s representation in parliament. However, our provisional analysis shows that the global share of women MPs has stalled at around 27%, raising real concerns about potential stagnation or even a reversal of past progress.
Going forward, we remain committed to advocating for policies that promote gender equality and ensure women’s voices are heard in all spheres of life.
In 2025, marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as well as the 40th anniversary of the IPU Forum of Women Parliamentarians, we will accelerate our action in favour of gender equality, our theme for the year.
As we look ahead, we remain steadfast in our mission to support all parliamentarians and the wider parliamentary community, for peace, for democracy, for everyone.
Season’s greetings and a peaceful New Year to you and your families.
Tulia Ackson, IPU President, and Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General.
© IPU
