Theme: Human Rights

An anti-FGM protester holds a placard outside the National Assembly in Banjul © MUHAMADOU BITTAYE / AFP

IPU welcomes Gambia’s decision to uphold female genital mutilation (FGM) ban

The Inter-Parliamentary Union welcomes the Parliament of Gambia’s recent vote to uphold a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), rejecting a controversial bill seeking to reverse the law. On July 15 parliamentarians voted down the proposed law following months of public debate and advocacy efforts. IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong, who had been vocal in his […]

The Parliamentary Forum at 2024's HLPF ©IPU

IPU Forum at UN highlights parliamentary role in tackling global goals

This week, the IPU convened dozens of parliamentarians from around the world for its annual meeting at the High-Level Political Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations Office in New York. New countries attending included, for the first time, representatives of the China’s National People’s Congress, underscoring the growing relevance of this event […]

UK and French flags Riccardo Milani / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP

Gender equality highs and lows: a tale of two parliamentary elections from IPU

Following an intense week of elections, the IPU’s two founding members, France and the United Kingdom, have just completed their parliamentary elections. How have both parliaments fared in terms of gender equality? How do they compare to previous chambers and the IPU’s global average of women in parliament which stood at 26.9% before these latest […]

The 148th IPU Assembly in Geneva ©IPU

IPU global poll finds that world’s MPs are cautiously optimistic despite global challenges

On the eve of International Day of Parliamentarism and the IPU’s 135th anniversary on 30 June 2024, the IPU is presenting the findings of its first global perceptions poll of the parliamentary community. The IPU polled members of parliament and related stakeholders from around the world to gauge their levels of optimism, their perceptions of the greatest […]

Opening session of the 23rd IPU Parliamentary Conference in October 1925 in the US Congress. Copyright Harris & Ewing.

Marking its 135th anniversary the IPU recalls its proud history and global contribution

The late nineteenth century was an uncertain and turbulent period. For many world powers, war was the only way to settle any differences. But two parliamentarians – one British, one French – realized that it did not have to be this way. Visionaries at the time, William Randal Cremer and Frédéric Passy believed that a more peaceful and […]

Meeting with Francisco Coy, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs

Cross-Party delegation explores Peace, Human Rights and Climate in Colombia

From 27 – 31 May 2024, a BGIPU delegation of UK Members of Parliament visited Colombia to strengthen bilateral Parliamentary links. The delegation included Tim Loughton MP, Baroness Blower, Patrick Grady MP and Baroness Northover, and was supported by Holly Sloan from the BGIPU Secretariat. The visit started days after the General Election was called, […]

The 6th Intercultural Dialogue Forum took place in Baku, Azerbaijan in May 2024. © ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP

Interfaith and intercultural dialogue: Parliaments are joining the conversation

With religious tensions and interfaith violence posing significant threats to peace and security today, parliaments as state institutions and parliamentarians as representatives of their communities are beginning to engage more with religions and beliefs. With this in mind, in its 2022-2026 strategy, the IPU decided to pioneer a new approach which encourages parliaments to interact more with the ecosystems […]

The IPU will celebrate its 135th anniversary on 30 June as the world's oldest multilateral political body.

IPU Anniversary on 30 June: Watch 135 years of the IPU in 135 seconds

On 30 June 1889, visionary parliamentarians Frédéric Passy of France and William Randall Cremer of the United Kingdom brought together MPs from Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Liberia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the USA in the first inter-parliamentary meeting in Paris, France. The Inter-Parliamentary Conference, later to become the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was born. […]