Methane is a major driver of global climate change, with a warming potential more than 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide over 20 years. Major sources of emissions include agriculture (40%), energy (35%) and waste (20%). However, unlike carbon dioxide, methane remains in the atmosphere for only about a decade. This short lifespan means that […]
Opinion piece by Ms. Deborah O’Neill, member of the Senate of Australia It was a late night at a committee hearing in the Australian Senate on 15 February 2023 when a shocking truth came to light. In response to my question, the CEO of the Tax Practitioners Board revealed that a tax partner within the […]
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 […]
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 […]
Close to three billion people were called to the polls last year in a record number of elections worldwide, demonstrating how widely democracy has spread in the last 100 years. However, democracy’s true value should be measured not only by the number of elections held but also by the extent to which the results produce […]
Bahrain’s Council of Representatives has become the first legislative body in the region to secure the ISO 14001:2015 certification for environmental management. The Council’s journey to the certification, awarded in July 2025, involved several key initiatives. Solar panels were installed andnow supply a portion of the chamber’s energy needs, reducing reliance on traditional power sources and promoting wider […]
On 12 August, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) celebrated International Youth Day by organizing a webinar for members of parliament and international partners that would highlight new tools and initiatives aimed at empowering young parliamentarians. The focus was on enhancing gender equality through efforts that promoted youth empowerment in politics. The event emphasized peer learning, international […]
On the sidelines of the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament and the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament held last week in Geneva, the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Martin Chungong, signed a series of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Parliaments of Zambia, Chad and Mongolia, reinforcing the IPU’s […]
Parliamentary leaders from some 120 countries gathered at the United Nations Office at Geneva for the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, a summit convened every five years by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in partnership with the United Nations (UN). The Conference, regarded as the world’s top parliamentary forum, was held from 29 to 31 July 2025. […]
The 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament drew more than 330 participants from 37 countries, including 30 Women Speakers. Organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in partnership with the Swiss Parliament, the event coincided with several key milestones in the global push for gender equality. The Summit was an opportunity to refocus attention on gender equality as […]
