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Theme: Political Empowerment

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Conference on a gender sensitive Parliament for the UK

BGIPU, in collaboration with Prof Sarah Childs (on secondment to the UK House of Commons from the University of Bristol), convened a one-day conference on 19 November to explore key perspectives on making the UK House of Commons a more gender sensitive Parliament.  The conference was opened by the Speaker, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, and brought together international parliamentarians, academics and UK members and parliamentary staff to debate how a more gender sensitive House of Commons might be best achieved.

Global IssuesInter-Parliamentary CooperationBGIPU Seminars & Events
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IPU President marks International Day of Democracy

The IPU President says democracy is only as strong as the political participation of citizens and this must be increased for world peace, social cohesion and development, says the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).  Marking the International Day of Democracy on 15 September, IPU is calling for a major stepping-up of efforts to involve the public more deeply in formal political processes and institutions, including parliaments. It is also urging parliaments to be more open and accessible to their citizens, and representative of society as a whole.

Global IssuesInter-Parliamentary CooperationIPU Activities & Conferences
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Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament

BGIPU will be facilitating the participation of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, and the Lord Speaker, the Rt Hon Baroness D’Souza CMG, at the 4th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament at the UN Headquarters in New York from 31 August to 2 September. The Conference, organized by IPU every five years and supported by the UN, will adopt a declaration which will feed into the UN SDGs Summit.  The Lord Speaker will also participate in the 10th Meeting of Women Speakers of Parliament prior to the conference.

Global IssuesInter-Parliamentary CooperationIPU Activities & Conferences
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Outcome of 4th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament

Parliamentary leaders from nearly 140 countries have pledged to do their utmost to reconnect people with democracy in an ambitious and far-reaching declaration adopted at the end of a three-day global summit in New York.  More than 170 Speakers and Deputy Speakers acknowledged that extraordinary efforts would be needed to build a world that people want by turning the tide against the many challenges that undermine democracy, peace and development.

Global IssuesHuman RightsIPU Activities & Conferences
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UK Young MPs keen to advance youth empowerment through IPU networks

On 1 July, BGIPU hosted young MPs to discuss IPU initiatives to advance political engagement of youth and improve the representativeness of parliaments. Gavin Shuker MP and Chloe Smith MP, who represented the UK Parliament in consecutive IPU Global Conferences of Young Parliamentarians, reported back to parliamentary colleagues on the IPU’s work and international efforts to enhance networks and support for young parliamentarians worldwide. MPs agreed the UK Parliament should play an active role in support of the IPU’s work.

Global IssuesInter-Parliamentary CooperationIPU Activities & Conferences
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Young MPs meet in Tokyo to counter youth alienation and disengagement

A major international conference of the world’s young MPs in Tokyo in late May has called for policies to end the alienation and radicalization of young people, including new education policies and employment quotas. About 190 young MPs attended the IPU Global Conference of Young MPs making a series of recommendations on addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the world’s 3.5 billion youth populations including unemployment, discrimination and conflict.  Gavin Shuker MP represented the UK Parliament at the event.

Asia-PacificHuman RightsIPU Activities & Conferences
UK delegation members at CSW59

If women thrive so shall we all

This year CSW welcomed the largest contingent of 1100 NGOs (non-governmental organisations) from all over the world, composing 8600 women.   I led a delegation of UK parliamentary delegates including Gavin Shuker MP, Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, and Diane Abbott MP for first week sponsored by the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU). It is a truly amazing conference on many levels.   Especially moving are some of the NGO events where one hears from human rights defenders often under threat on the ground.

Global IssuesHuman RightsIPU Activities & Conferences
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British and Burmese Women Parliamentarians Unite

This visit intended to strengthen women’s political participation at national level and engage current women MPs in Burma on political empowerment and gender-sensitive parliamentary practices through targeted workshops with UK counterparts. It was a standalone project, complementary to other parliamentary strengthening activities in the country, undertaken in partnership with the British Embassy in Rangoon.

Asia-PacificInter-Parliamentary CooperationOutward Delegations
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Election of new IPU President to take center stage of 131st Assembly

The election of a new IPU President will be one of the main highlights of a content-rich 131st Assembly in Geneva on 12-16 October. The new president will take over from Abdelwahad Radi, who ends his three-year mandate at the end of the event. Over 120 IPU Member parliaments involving more than 650 MPs have so far registered to attend the 131st Assembly. Among them, there are more than 75 Speakers and Deputy Speakers of Parliament, as well as a significant percentage of women and young MPs.

EuropeHuman RightsIPU Activities & Conferences
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Harness the power of youth for democracy, urges IPU

Marking International Day of Democracy on 15th September, the IPU is urging bold action and changes in mindset if disillusioned and alienated youth the world over are to be engaged in political decision-making. The IPU says countries everywhere need to harness the power of youth in formal politics for the sake of democracy. Young people between 15-25 represent 20 per cent of the global population but parliamentarians below 30 accounted for less than two per cent of MPs. For those aged between 20-40 years, the figure increases to just 12 per cent.

Global IssuesInter-Parliamentary CooperationIPU Activities & Conferences
 

REGION

Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East Global Issues

REGION

Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East Global Issues

ACTIVITY

Inward Delegations Outward Delegations Executive Committee IPU Activities & Conferences BGIPU Seminars & Events APPGs

ACTIVITY

Inward Delegations Outward Delegations Executive Committee IPU Activities & Conferences BGIPU Seminars & Events APPGs

THEME

Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Human Rights Peace & Security Trade and Sustainable Development Political Empowerment

THEME

Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Human Rights Peace & Security Trade and Sustainable Development Political Empowerment

YEAR

YEAR

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