From Monday 17 to Friday 21 November, I led a cross-party group of parliamentarians on a visit to Bogotá, Colombia. The delegation included Baroness Alexander, Baroness Prashar, Leigh Ingham MP, Caroline Dinenage MP and Stephen Gethins MP. They were accompanied by Dominique Rees and Henry Collison from the BGIPU. The visit offered a concentrated and […]
The Parliamentarians’ Global Guide to Climate Change and Climate Solutions provides legislators and policymakers around the world with the latest evidence and tools to understand and respond to the challenges of the climate emergency. Coordinated by the University of Exeter, Arizona State University and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Guide provides an overview of key areas of […]
Parliamentarians from around the world, gathered in Belém for the IPU’s Parliamentary Meeting at COP30, the UN Climate Change Conference, have reaffirmed their strong commitment to supporting governments in intensifying their efforts to address the climate emergency. Over 200 MPs and experts from some 40 countries participated in the event on 14 November 2025, which […]
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has concluded its 151st IPU Assembly, with nearly 1,150 delegates, including over 600 members of parliament, from 132 countries in attendance. Notably, women MPs comprised nearly 37% of the parliamentarians at the Assembly. Meeting under the theme of parliamentary support for humanitarian action, the five-day Assembly took place in Geneva, the birthplace of […]
The IPU hosted another round of high-level parliamentary talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan this week during the 151st IPU Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. On 21 October 2025, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong welcomed the Speaker of the Azgayin Zhoghov (National Assembly of Armenia), Mr. Alen Simonyan, and the Speaker of the Milli Mejlis (National Assembly […]
On behalf of the global parliamentary community, we wish to express our deep concern about the military takeover in Madagascar and the suspension of the Constitution. We deplore the loss of life, injuries and destruction of property resulting from the unrest. We call for immediate coordinated international action to address the ongoing crisis in Madagascar. […]
IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong has recently concluded a mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, as part of the IPU’s commitment to the peace process in the Great Lakes region. His visit aimed to encourage parliamentary diplomacy as a vital instrument for building trust, promoting regional stability and supporting cooperation […]
With global military expenditure rising to a record estimate of USD 2.7 trillion in 2024, a new Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU) issue brief calls for parliaments to strengthen their scrutiny of defence spending in the interests of transparency, accountability and democracy. The IPU publication, Democratic checks, military balances: Parliamentary oversight in an era of rising military expenditure warns that […]
Methane is a major driver of global climate change, with a warming potential more than 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide over 20 years. Major sources of emissions include agriculture (40%), energy (35%) and waste (20%). However, unlike carbon dioxide, methane remains in the atmosphere for only about a decade. This short lifespan means that […]
From 6-11 October, I was privileged to lead a cross-party group of UK Parliamentarians from both Houses to the Dominican Republic following a successful recent incoming delegation from the DR. Our delegation included Lord Randall, Kim Johnson MP, Pete Wishart MP, Alex Sobel MP and Darren Paffey MP and our visit was organised by the […]
