On 25 March, BGIPU sent a delegation of six parliamentarians to Brazil on a bilateral visit aimed at developing our bilateral relationship and informing us about the current issues in Brazil. The delegation was led by the Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, and included Fabian Hamilton MP, Kim Johnson MP, Jason McCartney MP, Mark Pawsey […]
The overall impression of the visit was – for me – the dynamism and liveliness of Brazilian politics and democracy. After a challenging few years under its previous political leadership, Brazil seems to have bounced back with its strong democratic institutions and constitution. Few, it would seem, wanted a return to the dark days of […]
The IPU condemns in the strongest possible terms the attacks on the Brazilian Congress and other state institutions on Sunday 8 January. Nearly two years to the day of the assault on the US Congress, the events in Brasilia serve as a grim reminder that democracy cannot be taken for granted and needs constant protection. […]
On the eve of Human Rights Day, the IPU has released its annual global snapshot of the situation of threatened parliamentarians. A record number of 739 parliamentarians from 44 countries all over the world suffered violations of their fundamental rights this year. The 2022 figures represent an increase of nearly 10% compared to 2021 (673 MPs in 44 countries). They confirm a […]
From 21-25 November, BGIPU hosted a delegation of five parliamentarians from the Senate of the Republic of Colombia, with the objective of enhancing parliamentary relations between the two countries. The delegation was led by Senator Germán Blanco Álvarez (Colombian Conservative Party), and he was accompanied by fellow senators Carlos Fernando Motoa, Carlos Abraham Jiménez, Sor […]
The 6-11 November 2022 BGIPU visit to Mexico was very successful. The visit was led by Dan Carden MP, and the delegation comprised of Alicia Kearns MP, Wayne David MP, Matt Vickers MP, Dr Lisa Cameron MP, Baroness Coussins and Baroness Bonham Carter. Our programme of political and cultural meetings showed us a country of […]
Ms. Cynthia Lopez Castro of Mexico, and the Chairman and all the Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine have been awarded the first Cremer-Passy Prize at the 145th IPU Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda. The prize is named after the IPU founders William Randall Cremer and Frédéric Passy, visionary parliamentarians from Great Britain and France, who convened […]
The global proportion of women parliamentarians has increased by 0.6 percentage points to reach 26.1 per cent according to the IPU’s latest Women in Parliament in 2021 report. This is in line with progress seen in the past two years. The increase can be largely attributed to the critical role played by well-designed quotas. In the 48 countries that […]
The IPU has recorded another all-time high number of parliamentarians suffering from alleged human rights violations according to its annual figures released on the eve of Human Rights Day. The data reveal that at least 673 parliamentarians from 44 countries are under threat, most of them in countries experiencing political instability. The 2021 numbers confirm a consistent increase since 2014 […]
On 20 October, BGIPU convened a virtual bilateral meeting between UK and Panamanian Parliamentarians. The discussion was moderated by BGIPU Executive Member, Mark Menzies MP, and was attended on the UK side by Baroness D’Souza, Baroness Hooper, Catherine West MP, Lord Dholakia and Lord Mountevans. The newly appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Panama, Mr Tim […]
