At its meeting on 18 January 2021, the IPU Executive Committee decided that, in view of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact, the 142nd IPU Assembly would be held during the week of 24 May 2021 in virtual format. In order to examine the implications of such an unprecedented virtual Assembly and to find the best […]
On 24 March, BGIPU and the BBC World Service co-hosted a webinar on media freedom issues in China and Hong Kong. The meeting was attended by UK Members of Parliament, representatives from civil society organisations and journalists. Alex Sobel MP, BGIPU Treasurer and Opposition DCMS Minister chaired the meeting. He was joined by acting Director […]
IPU President, Mr. Duarte Pacheco and IPU Secretary General, Mr. Martin Chungong met today a group of Myanmar parliamentarians elected in the general election of November 2020 but prevented from taking their seats in the new parliament following the military coup on 1 February 2021. The parliamentarians are part of the newly formed 17-member Committee […]
In a case study, the IPU has highlighted that 2020 was a milestone year for women in politics in the US. The country saw the highest numbers of women entering Congress and the executive in its history. Progress built on the midterm elections in 2018, and women now occupy 26.9 per cent of seats in […]
With UK Parliamentary travel suspended since March 2020 and all IPU meetings cancelled or being held virtually online, the COVID-19 global pandemic represents the most serious disruption to the work of BGIPU since the two World Wars of the 20th century. Over the last year, as the global pandemic spread to an estimated 120 million […]
In one of his first trips abroad as IPU President, Duarte Pacheco visited India in the week of 15 March 2021. During the visit, he met with the leaders of both houses of Parliament, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (the Council of States), Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha […]
On 11 March, BGIPU hosted a virtual parliamentary briefing with British Ambassadors to UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman, and the Chargé d’Affaires to Kuwait. The event was chaired by BGIPU Executive Committee member and Chair of the Saudi Arabia and Oman APPG, Mr Mark Menzies MP. It was well-attended by MPs and Peers from […]
On 11 March, BGIPU held a bilateral meeting between UK and Danish Parliamentarians. The discussion was led by Co-Chair of the Denmark APPG Baroness McIntosh of Pickering, and she was joined by fellow APPG members Andrew Rosindell MP, Lord Mountevans and Viscount Craigavon. Also in attendance was the BGIPU Chair Harriett Baldwin MP, plus Dr […]
Despite increases in the number of women at the highest levels of political power, widespread gender inequalities persist, according to the 2021 edition of the IPU-UN Women Map of Women in Politics. The IPU-UN Women Map presents new data for women in government and parliamentary positions as of 1 January 2021. The data shows all-time highs […]
On Tuesday 9th March, in association with the Women in Parliament APPG, BGIPU hosted an event to celebrate International Women’s Day. BGIPU Chair Harriett Baldwin MP moderated the esteemed panel which included academics Dr Jessica Smith and Professor Sarah Childs who were joined by Clerk Assistant, Sarah Davies, Chair of the Procedure Committee, The Rt […]
