Across the week commencing 26 February, a BGIPU delegation of UK Members of Parliament visited Albania to strengthen bilateral Parliamentary links. Consisting of Matthew Offord (Conservative), Tan Dhesi (Labour), Baroness Blackstone (Labour), and Baroness Bonham-Carter (Liberal Democrat), and supported by Holly Sloan from the BGIPU, the delegation sought to promote greater cooperation between the Government […]
The 148th Assembly of the IPU will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, on 23-27 March 2024. All IPU statutory bodies, including the Governing Council, Standing Committees, Committees on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and on Middle East Questions, as well as the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young MPs, will meet on […]
In 2019, when Italy’s former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made a bewildering appearance on a satirical news show, hurling insults at his political counterparts, threatening to leave and using inappropriate language, he caused a massive stir. However, soon after the video surfaced, it became apparent that it was not Renzi speaking. It was a sophisticated […]
This was my first visit to Costa Rica and Panama, as part of a delegation alongside seasoned experts in the region, Baroness Hooper and Lord Mountevans. The visit was immensely informative and was arranged impeccably by the hosts and our Embassies in both countries, with the advantage too that for most of the time in […]
According to the latest data compiled by the IPU on its data platform, Parline, 72 elections or renewals of parliamentary chambers will take place this year, compared to 65 last year. Among those, 55 parliamentary chambers will be directly elected while the others will be indirectly elected or appointed. Roughly half the world’s population is expected to […]
Tulia Ackson, Speaker of the Parliament of Tanzania, became the 31st IPU President following elections in October 2023. In her first IPU interview last November, she describes her journey to the Presidency and outlines her main priorities for the next three years.
Huge strides in artificial intelligence (AI) have dominated the headlines these past few months. But beyond the buzz, what are the risks but also the opportunities when it comes to democracy, human rights and the rule of law? Will AI be the great disrupter of elections in 2024 with more than half the world’s population going to the polls? […]
On the eve of its 135th year, the IPU has never been so close to universal membership, with the accession in 2023 of the parliaments of Liberia and the Bahamas, our 179th and 180th Members respectively, as well as many observers and partners signing up to join or rejoin our global parliamentary community. This, together […]
A few days before Human Rights Day on 10 December, the IPU has released its annual map of the number of reported cases of human rights violations suffered by parliamentarians around the world. Although the numbers continue to rise, there have been positive developments in some countries, partly due to actions by the Committee on the Human Rights […]
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has prompted many experts to warn about its impacts on democracy. To explore this issue further, the IPU is preparing a series of articles on the topic. In this fourth piece, British MP and Vice-Chair of the British Group of the IPU, Rt Hon Vicky Ford MP, talks […]
