Theme: Human Rights

At the invitation of the Parliament of Indonesia, the 144th Assembly of the IPU and its related meetings will be held in Nusa Dua, Bali (Bali International Convention Centre) from Sunday, 20 to Thursday, 24 March 2022.

Indonesia to host 144th IPU Assembly and related meetings in Nusa Dua

At the invitation of the Parliament of Indonesia, the 144th Assembly of the IPU and its related meetings will be held in Nusa Dua, Bali (Bali International Convention Centre) from Sunday, 20 to Thursday, 24 March 2022. All IPU statutory bodies, including the Governing Council, Standing Committees, Committees on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and on Middle East […]

Statement on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by the IPU Executive Committee

Statement – We stand with the people of Ukraine. We express solidarity with our parliamentary brothers and sisters from the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, a fully-fledged Member of the IPU since 1999. We, the members of the IPU Executive Committee, condemn in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine. It must stop […]

The UK Parliament was represented at the hearing by the BGIPU Chair, Harriett Baldwin MP, BGIPU Treasurer and IPU Co-Rapporteur for COP26, Alex Sobel MP and member of the House of Commons International Development Committee, Richard Bacon MP. 

IPU & UN General Assembly re-convenes annual hearing of MPs pushing for inclusive recovery

The United Nations has co-hosted its largest in-person gathering since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with hundreds of parliamentarians from around the world attending the 2022 Parliamentary Hearing, a joint initiative of the IPU and the President of the General Assembly, on 17 and 18 February. Around 200 MPs, Speakers, advisers and related officials […]

Elections in Kenya

A forward look at Elections in 2022 as the IPU picks the ones to watch

2022 is set to be a dynamic year for voting worldwide. Several elections could reshape the parliamentary makeup in many countries. According to Parline, the IPU’s open data platform on parliaments, in 2022 there will be 31 elections for the direct selection of parliamentarians in every region of the globe. Each result will have a lasting impact […]

BGIPU hosted a roundtable discussion chaired by Tim Loughton MP with Dr Ewelina Ochab from the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute and Alkan Akad from Amnesty International speaking about human rights in China against the backdrop of the Beijing Olympics,

UK Members concerned China human rights being “sports-washed” by Beijing Olympics

On 9 February, BGIPU hosted a roundtable discussion on human rights in China against the backdrop of the Beijing Olympics, with particular focus on the Uyghur crisis. The meeting was chaired by Tim Loughton MP and heard from Dr Ewelina Ochab from the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute and Alkan Akad from Amnesty International […]

The Ambassador explained that the UK intends to support Tunisia’s political reform to maintain and build on the gains won in 2011. Political freedom and democracy remain key political priorities for the UK.

Timely update on Tunisia from UK Ambassador for interested MPs/Peers

On 3 February, BGIPU hosted a virtual briefing with the British Ambassador to Tunisia, HMA Helen Winterton. Damien Moore MP, member of the BGIPU Executive Committee and Chair of the Tunisia APPG, hosted the briefing. Tunisia was initially hailed as a democratic success after the Arab Spring in 2011. However, years of political wrangling revealed […]

The IPU calls for a swift return to constitutional order with respect for the rule of law and democratically elected institutions. 

IPU gravely concerned by reports of military coup in Burkina Faso

The IPU expresses grave concern over reports of a military coup in Burkina Faso with the arrests of President Kabore, the Speaker of Parliament and other government officials as well as news of the dissolution of the National Assembly. The IPU calls for a swift return to constitutional order with respect for the rule of law and democratically elected institutions. Gunfire and violence on […]

As President and Secretary General, we reiterate our commitment to mobilizing parliaments worldwide toward a fairer, more inclusive and egalitarian future.

IPU’s end of year statement on 2021: A year when attacks on democracy intensified

End-of-year statement by President Duarte Pacheco and Secretary General Martin Chungong. 2021 bore witness to several assaults on democracy, starting with what many saw as one of its bastions – the US Congress. Then Myanmar suffered a bloody military coup which unravelled in an instant nearly a decade of democratic progress led by its elected […]

Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint. © EyePress via AFP

Political instability accounts for record number of persecuted MPs worldwide

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 […]