Region: Africa

A conversation with… Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom

  As part of the IPU series ‘A conversation with…’, we interview parliamentarians and experts from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we spoke with Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. He discusses the important role of […]

The UK delegation was led by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP

Global lawmakers find common ground at 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha

Global lawmakers find common ground The 153rd IPU Assembly was attended by close to 700 parliamentarians from over 130 countries, including 50 Speakers and 45 Deputy Speakers of Parliaments. The high-level participation underscored the importance of the Assembly as a global forum for parliamentary leadership and dialogue. Among the lawmakers present, 39.4% were women – […]

The 153rd IPU Assembly will be convened at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC)

153rd IPU Assembly to convene in October in Arusha, Republic of Tanzania

The 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will be held in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, from 5 to 9 October 2026, bringing together hundreds of lawmakers from around the world for a week of high-level parliamentary diplomacy. Hosted by Bunge la Tanzania, the National Assembly of Tanzania, the focus of the Assembly will be […]

The IPU encourages parliaments to approve ratification of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. © Fariq Faraj Mahmood/Anadolu/AFP

Comoros, Tonga and Mongolia: Three countries trying to make the world safer

The IPU encourages and supports parliaments in their work to approve and implement existing treaties and conventions designed to limit the threat from chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. In 2025, after a high-level seminar organized by the IPU and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) on the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), Comoros formally presented […]

A voting booth in Chad © Joris Bolomey/AFP

How the IPU helped Chad on the road to democracy

Chad’s first elections in more than a decade marked the end of a three-year transitional period and paved the way for a return to parliamentary democracy. It was fitting that the elections came shortly after Haroun Kabadi – former Speaker of Chad’s National Assembly, Head of the National Transitional Council and now President of the […]

In October 2025, the IPU signed a cooperation framework to strengthen Ghana’s parliamentary capacity to help reduce methane emissions. © IPU/Pierre Albouy

How the IPU helps Ghana to reduce methane emissions

When the Parliament of Ghana decided to take action to reduce climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions, the IPU was on hand to offer support, technical expertise and capacity-building. We worked closely with parliamentarians to strengthen their understanding of Ghana’s commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement, and to identify opportunities for parliamentary action – including on methane […]

©Senate of Cameroon

Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organisation calls for WTO reform

The Inter-Parliamentary Union has concluded its Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization (WTO) which took place at the Senate of Cameroon, on the eve of the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). The Parliamentary Conference on the WTO is co-organized by the IPU and the European Parliament. It brings together legislators from all regions to shape ministerial […]

The five candidates in alphabetical order from left to right.

Inter-Parliamentary Union to elect its new Secretary General at 152nd Assembly

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will elect its ninth Secretary General at the 152nd IPU Assembly, which will be held in Istanbul, Türkiye from 15 to 19 April 2026. The Secretary General serves as the Chief Executive of the Organization, overseeing the management of the Secretariat and reporting directly to the IPU Governing Council. Together with the President, the […]