Theme: Political Empowerment

Closing of the 145th IPU Assembly in Rwanda, October 2022

As 2022 closes President and Secretary General see a new breath of life at the IPU

End of year message from IPU leadership 2022 saw the first year of the implementation of our new 5-year strategy. The Strategy gives us a renewed mandate to continue strengthening and connecting parliaments for peace, democracy and sustainable development. Climate action takes centre stage It opens up new avenues for the IPU to support parliaments in other […]

© UN Women/Amanda Voisard

First UN General Assembly resolution on role of parliaments in implementing the SDGs

In a historic first, the UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution highlighting the critical role of parliaments in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The resolution demonstrates a United Nations growing more open to cooperation with parliaments to advance the international agenda. The resolution entitled Enhancing the role of parliaments in accelerating the implementation […]

A session in the Senegal Parliament, CARMEN ABD ALI / AFP

IPU condemns in strongest possible terms violence in the Senegal Parliament

The IPU condemns in the strongest possible terms the violence that took place in the Senegal National Assembly this week, committed by two parliamentarians, Mr. Yewi Askanwi and Mr. Moustapha Sy, against a pregnant parliamentarian, Ms. Gniby Amy Ndiaye. Any physical attack on a parliamentarian or between parliamentarians is totally unacceptable, regardless of what is […]

Rally in Paris, France © SERGE TENANI / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP

Violence against women parliamentarians: Causes, effects, solutions

Women account for just over 26% of parliamentarians worldwide according to the IPU’s latest figures. Despite progress made in recent years, significant obstacles continue to block their path to parity with their male counterparts. One of the biggest obstacles is sexism, harassment and gender-based violence. IPU reports show that sexist abuse persists across all parliaments in all […]

Children's rights remain vital to ensuring universal human rights are respected and protected globally.

IPU and UN mobilize parliaments to support children’s rights

In the lead-up to 20 November, World Children’s Day, the IPU and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) have released a joint statement on the role of parliaments in the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols. The joint statement underscores the role that […]

The UK delegation leader Harriett Baldwin MP with Ukraine counterparts, Alona Skrum, Lesia Vasylenko and Olga Rudenko.

IPU Member Parliaments at IPU145 in Kigali commit to accelerating gender equality

Parliamentarians from around the world have adopted the Kigali Declaration Gender equality and gender-sensitive parliaments as drivers of change for a more resilient and peaceful world at the end of the 145th IPU Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda.   The Declaration represents a milestone in progress towards gender equality and gender-sensitive parliaments. It encourages IPU Members to step up their efforts to […]

First Cremer-Passy Prize goes to parliamentarians from Mexico and Ukraine

Ms. Cynthia Lopez Castro of Mexico, and the Chairman and all the Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine have been awarded the first Cremer-Passy Prize at the 145th IPU Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda. The prize is named after the IPU founders William Randall Cremer and Frédéric Passy, visionary parliamentarians from Great Britain and France, who convened […]

Puan Maharani, Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives

Parliamentary leaders call on G20 to actively engage with parliaments

The Parliament of Indonesia, in cooperation with the IPU, brought together parliamentary leaders from the world’s 20 major economies at the Parliamentary Forum and the Eighth G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit, the ‘P20’, which took place from 5-7 October in Jakarta, Indonesia. In their deliberations, the Speakers of Parliament underlined that strong parliaments are key to strong […]