Theme: Political Empowerment

©AFP

From cyberattacks to election threats: Strengthening democratic oversight of AI

Parliaments must be central to the democratic governance of advanced artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new publication from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), including helping to address the potentially catastrophic risks posed by the technology. Democratic control of artificial intelligence: The role of parliaments in addressing extreme risks identifies practical steps lawmakers can take to […]

A woman places flowers outside the office of Australian politician Helen Haines in Wangaratta. ©William West / AFP

Statement on Australian MP Dr. Helen Haines

On behalf of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the international parliamentary community, we express our profound shock at the news of a deliberate attack on Australian parliamentarian, Dr. Helen Haines, outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Australia. Our thoughts are with Dr. Haines, her family, her parliamentary colleagues and the community she serves. We wish […]

The UK delegation was led by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP

Global lawmakers find common ground at 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha

Global lawmakers find common ground The 153rd IPU Assembly was attended by close to 700 parliamentarians from over 130 countries, including 50 Speakers and 45 Deputy Speakers of Parliaments. The high-level participation underscored the importance of the Assembly as a global forum for parliamentary leadership and dialogue. Among the lawmakers present, 39.4% were women – […]

The risks that society accepts – and the boundaries that AI must respect – must be decided democratically.

AI urgently requires democratic leadership

The risks that society accepts – and the boundaries that AI must respect – must be decided democratically. Signatories: Dr. Tulia Ackson, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Member of the National Assembly, United Republic of Tanzania Ms. Anda Filip, IPU Secretary General Mr. Hasni Mohammad, President of the IPU Standing Committee on Peace and […]

BGIPU welcomes IPU President and Secretary General to Westminster

The British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU) welcomed the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Dr Tulia Ackson, and its new Secretary General, Anda Filip, to Westminster on 9 September 2026. Their visit provided an opportunity for parliamentarians from across both Houses and parties to discuss the UK’s contribution to the IPU and the priorities for […]

© Parliament of Uzbekistan

At global IPU conference, Young MPs call for action to reclaim human rights

Lawmakers aged under 40 from around the world gathered this week in Samarkand for the 12th IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians. Co-hosted by the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan on 4 and 5 September 2026, the Conference was held under the theme Reclaiming human rights, justice and dignity for all […]

The 153rd IPU Assembly will be convened at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC)

153rd IPU Assembly to convene in October in Arusha, Republic of Tanzania

The 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will be held in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, from 5 to 9 October 2026, bringing together hundreds of lawmakers from around the world for a week of high-level parliamentary diplomacy. Hosted by Bunge la Tanzania, the National Assembly of Tanzania, the focus of the Assembly will be […]

IPU President Tulia Ackson (middle right) and IPU Secretary General Anda Filip (far right) at the HLPF ©Joel Sheakoski/ IPU

Parliamentarians call for renewed SDG push as 2030 deadline looms

Parliamentarians from around the world gathered at the United Nations in New York on 14 July for the IPU Parliamentary Forum at the 2026 UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), where they reviewed progress and shared good parliamentary practice on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The annual HLPF is the main global accountability platform for […]

From the left: Alexandre Kriebitz, IPU, Robert Opp, UNDP Chief Digital Officer, Dina Al-Bashir, Member of the National Assembly of Jordan and Andrei Baciu, Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania during the AI for Good Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. © IPU

IPU brings parliaments into the heart of global AI talks

Last week, Geneva hosted the largest concentration of international AI governance activity to date. Three major UN-anchored processes converged in the same week for the first time: the inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance, the WSIS Forum 2026 and the AI for Good Global Summit, and the IPU was there to bring a parliamentary perspective into each. What came out of it were […]