Through its programme of activities, the BGIPU seeks to engage Parliamentarians in key global issues and works to expand awareness and understanding of foreign relations and the contribution to be made by the UK Parliament to consolidate parliamentary democracy worldwide.
Here you can read the reports of our activities, including our Outward Delegations, IPU conferences and events and inward visits to Westminster.
You can search for specific reports by using keywords, themes, categories or date using the fields on the right.
With global military expenditure rising to a record estimate of USD 2.7 trillion in 2024, a new Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU) issue brief calls for parliaments to strengthen their scrutiny of defence spending in the interests of transparency, accountability and democracy. The IPU publication, Democratic checks, military balances: Parliamentary oversight in an era of rising military expenditure warns that […]
Methane is a major driver of global climate change, with a warming potential more than 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide over 20 years. Major sources of emissions include agriculture (40%), energy (35%) and waste (20%). However, unlike carbon dioxide, methane remains in the atmosphere for only about a decade. This short lifespan means that […]
From 6-11 October, I was privileged to lead a cross-party group of UK Parliamentarians from both Houses to the Dominican Republic following a successful recent incoming delegation from the DR. Our delegation included Lord Randall, Kim Johnson MP, Pete Wishart MP, Alex Sobel MP and Darren Paffey MP and our visit was organised by the […]
The BGIPU delegation visit to Senegal took place from 5 to 10 October 2025. The delegation comprised Anneliese Dodds MP, Shaun Davies MP, Tan Dhesi MP, Marie Goldman MP, Brendan O’Hara MP and Lord Lemos and was supported by Dominique Rees and Chiara De Vita from BGIPU. A packed itinerary During the visit we met […]
Opinion piece by Ms. Deborah O’Neill, member of the Senate of Australia It was a late night at a committee hearing in the Australian Senate on 15 February 2023 when a shocking truth came to light. In response to my question, the CEO of the Tax Practitioners Board revealed that a tax partner within the […]
Against the backdrop of the climate crisis, unsustainable debt burdens and growing inequality, parliamentary leaders from the world’s largest economies agreed today on bold actions to accelerate climate resilience, ensure fairer energy transitions and unlock sustainable development. Meeting in Cape Town under the leadership of the Parliament of South Africa and with the support of […]
On behalf of the global parliamentary community, we reiterate our grave concern over the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. We are profoundly horrified by the immense suffering being inflicted upon the civilian population of Gaza, including famine, caused by the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and severe restrictions on humanitarian and other vital aid entering […]
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will convene its 151st Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland from 19-23 October 2025 under the theme: Upholding humanitarian norms and supporting humanitarian action in times of crisis. Against a backdrop of 120 ongoing conflicts and 310 million people in need of humanitarian assistance around the world – as documented by the International Committee […]
Parliament House is not only the heart of Australia’s parliamentary democracy, it is also the most high-profile workplace in the country. So when accounts of sexual assault, harassment and bullying in the Parliament emerged in 2020, there was no doubt that changes needed to be made. The accounts led to a national conversation about workplace […]
Close to three billion people were called to the polls last year in a record number of elections worldwide, demonstrating how widely democracy has spread in the last 100 years. However, democracy’s true value should be measured not only by the number of elections held but also by the extent to which the results produce […]
