The 147th IPU Assembly will be held in Luanda, Angola, from 23 to 27 October 2023, hosted by the National Assembly of Angola. The IPU Assembly will provide a platform for parliamentarians, partner organizations and experts to share good practice and commit to the overall theme of Parliamentary action for peace, justice and strong institutions. The theme is […]
The IPU condemns the military coup in Gabon and urges the armed forces to show maximum restraint. The health and well-being of the president should be protected. The IPU calls for a swift return to constitutional order in respect of the rule of law, human rights and democratically elected institutions. The IPU encourages all parties to engage […]
Following recent elections, women lawmakers now account for 30.4% of the elected seats in the Sierra Leone Parliament, up from 14.5% in the previous election. The surge in women MPs is largely thanks to the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, signed into law by President Julius Maada Bio a few months ago, which sets a 30% quota of […]
The first global Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue: Working together for our common future is expected to conclude with a declaration that encourages interfaith dialogue and calls for all religions and beliefs to be treated equally. The Marrakesh Communiqué calls on parliamentarians to ensure that “all religions, beliefs and faith-based organizations are treated equally and without discrimination under the […]
For the first time, the IPU has published a report which examines how parliaments around the world engage with issues of religion and belief. The IPU Parliamentary report on religion and belief explores how religion and belief are institutionalized in parliaments; for example, through legislation, representation, parliamentary committees and mechanisms for consultation with faith-based organizations or the […]
The IPU vehemently condemns the violent attack against Ugandan opposition MP, Susan Mugabi that took place on 21 April. According to the information received by the IPU, Ms. Mugabi was allegedly assaulted by the police, leaving her in a critical condition in hospital. Any physical attack on a parliamentarian is totally unacceptable. Violence against women […]
The Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue: Working together for our common future will take place from 13 to 15 June 2023 in Marrakesh, Morocco. The Conference is organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco in cooperation with Religions for Peace, and with the support of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and […]
Democracy requires that MPs are connected with their constituents, explaining their work to them and ensuring that constituents’ needs are represented. In Djibouti, one of the hottest and smallest countries in Africa, the IPU has been helping with that two-way exchange of information, connecting parliament with the people. First, it has enabled Djibouti’s parliamentarians to […]
In a statement released on twitter on 25 March, IPU President Duarte Pacheco said, “I strongly condemn the recently passed law in Uganda making it a crime identifying as gay, and imposes severe sentences, which includes in certain cases the the death penalty. This is an absolute disregard for human rights, a value that the IPU […]
At the 146th IPU Assembly in Manama, Bahrain this week, the IPU welcomed back the Liberian Parliament to its global parliamentary community. With the return of Liberia, IPU Membership now stands at 179 National Parliaments worldwide, with all African countries now represented.* Liberia was one of the nine founding members of the IPU along with Belgium, Britain, […]
