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 […]
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 […]
The BGIPU delegation visit to Senegal took place from 5 to 10 October 2025. The delegation comprised Anneliese Dodds MP, Shaun Davies MP, Tan Dhesi MP, Marie Goldman MP, Brendan O’Hara MP and Lord Lemos and was supported by Dominique Rees and Chiara De Vita from BGIPU. A packed itinerary During the visit we met […]
Against the backdrop of the climate crisis, unsustainable debt burdens and growing inequality, parliamentary leaders from the world’s largest economies agreed today on bold actions to accelerate climate resilience, ensure fairer energy transitions and unlock sustainable development. Meeting in Cape Town under the leadership of the Parliament of South Africa and with the support of […]
On behalf of the global parliamentary community, we reiterate our grave concern over the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. We are profoundly horrified by the immense suffering being inflicted upon the civilian population of Gaza, including famine, caused by the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and severe restrictions on humanitarian and other vital aid entering […]
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will convene its 151st Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland from 19-23 October 2025 under the theme: Upholding humanitarian norms and supporting humanitarian action in times of crisis. Against a backdrop of 120 ongoing conflicts and 310 million people in need of humanitarian assistance around the world – as documented by the International Committee […]
