Region: Africa

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 IPU will take place in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, on 5-9 October 2026. All IPU statutory bodies, including the Governing Council, Standing Committees, Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and Committee on Middle East Questions, as well as the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young […]

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 […]

Gabon Speaker Michel Régis Onanga M. Ndiaye received Martin Chungong on 8 December 2025.

IPU steps up support for parliamentary transitions in Gabon and Niger

The IPU has increased its support for political transitions in West Africa with a series of recent engagements in Niger and Gabon aimed at bolstering parliamentary institutions. While visiting both countries, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong emphasized the benefits of practical capacity-building, encouraging institutional stability and a renewed commitment to democratic dialogue. In Niger, the […]

© IPU

Over 1,000 MPs suffered human rights abuses in 2025 according to Inter-Parliamentary Union figures

In the lead-up to Human Rights Day, the IPU has published its latest data on human rights violations against parliamentarians. The data is compiled by the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, a unique international complaints mechanism with the specific mandate to defend the human rights of MPs. In 2025, the Committee reviewed a record 1,027 individual […]

The National Electoral Commission collect documents accompanying ballot boxes in Bissau, on November 24, 2025 ©Patrick Meinhardt/AFP

Inter-Parliamentary Union statement on recent worrying developments in Guinea-Bissau

The IPU is following developments in Guinea-Bissau with deep concern after reports that the military has taken power. The IPU strongly condemns this military coup and urges the armed forces to show maximum restraint. The IPU reiterates its calls for a swift return to constitutional order which respects the rule of law, the human rights of political opponents and the integrity of democratically elected institutions […]