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.
An international gathering of MPs has called for renewed momentum to conclude international trade negotiations that foster sustainable development. The parliamentarians urged all WTO Members to show flexibility and the willingness to compromise in order to conclude this trade round that has already lasted too long. Over 500 participants, including some 220 MPs from 56 countries, attended the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO from 9-10 December in Buenos Aires, which preceded the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference
Human rights abuses against parliamentarians reached a new high in 2017, according to IPU statistics. Parliamentarians from Cambodia, Maldives, Turkey and Venezuela alone, where the political situation has been worsening in recent times, account for 35% of the cases. Cases of abuses against women MPs have also reached a record number this year, having tripled since 2014. The IPU’s annual review reports that, in 2017 the Organization’s Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians examined the cases of 507 MPs in 41 countries.
The Annual General Meeting of the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union was convened on Wednesday 6 December 2017 in the IPU Room at the Palace of Westminster to adopt the 2017 Annual Report and elect the Executive Committee for 2017/18. The AGM was presided over by the Speaker aof the House of Commons, The Rt Hon John Bercow MP in his capacity as Honorary President of the Group.
In the run-up to the much anticipated elections in Cuba in early 2018, BGIPU hosted a historic visit by a Cuban parliamentary delegation from 27th November to 1st December. Given many members of the delegation had academic and/or medical backgrounds, the focus of the programme that stretched over three days in Westminster and two days in Reading/Oxford was on education and health.
The 2017 House of Lords Chamber Event took place on 1 December 2017. The event saw young people from around the UK as well as members of civic organisations, including the English-Speaking Union, coming together for an intergenerational debate on this topic : What are the challenges for international relations in the 21st Century? The debate concluded with strong support for the UK continuing to engage with its international partners through regular dialogue and cooperation to achieve a better world for all.
Young MPs from 51 countries have defined a youth-centred action plan that promotes inclusive democratic and socioeconomic policies for all. More than 120 young men and women MPs attended the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) Fourth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Ottawa, Canada on 17-18 November adopting a united approach to end exclusion and marginalization of young people. The UK was represented by Danielle Rowley MP and Ranil Jayawardena MP.
From 10-13 November, Chris Law MP (SNP), Clive Lewis MP (Labour), Alex Sobel MP and the Rt Hon Baroness Northover (Lib Dems) attended the IPU Meeting on the occasion of COP23 in Bonn, Germany, on behalf of BGIPU. The delegation assessed that the US decision to leave the Paris Agreement has galvanised all the other nations of the world to work more closely together in tackling climate change head on and the world needs to go faster and further more quickly to save the planet from irreversible climate change.
From 3-11 November, Lord Howard led a six-member delegation to Mongolia in a reciprocal visit following the Mongolian delegation to Westminster in February 2016. Both sides shared their enthusiasm at seeing new parliamentarians involved in developing the ties between Mongolia and the UK. Mongolia is one of just six genuine democracies in Asia, a truly remarkable achievement given the fact that until 1990 it was, effectively, ruled for hundreds of years under the strong influence of either China or the Soviet Union.
Mongolia is a unique country. It has a population the size of Wales and a land mass nearly three times that of France, and in terms of its history, geography, culture, natural resources and political position, there is no other country quite like Mongolia. This means that Mongolia faces distinctive challenges, which are in many ways peculiar to the country.
During our week-long visit to Madagascar in November, UK members found a common theme being the great warmth shown towards the British. Madagascar is celebrating 200 years since the friendship treaty with the UK and there is a clear wish from the President down to pursue membership of the Commonwealth. Indeed, the visit by the President to the UK earlier in the Autumn to open a new embassy further underlined the importance they placed on closer links with the UK which was also underscored by the way we were received during our timely visit.