Opinion Piece by Helga Fogstad, Executive Director, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), and Martin Chungong, Board Member, PMNCH, and Secretary General of the IPU. On this World Health Day, occurring in the midst of the greatest pandemic the world has seen since the 1918 influenza, we are reminded of the centrality of […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic shuts or slows down vast swathes of global activity, how are parliaments facilitating the implementation of the emergency health measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)? What impact is physical distancing and confinement having on the way parliaments function? How can parliaments debate, pass legislation and scrutinize the actions of […]
Release from the IPU Secretariat On 17 and 18 February, the IPU and the United Nations, represented by the President of the General Assembly, convened some 200 parliamentarians from over 60 countries, as well as diplomats, representatives from civil society, and experts for the IPU Annual Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations in New York. […]
In a recent survey of IPU Member Parliaments by the IPU Secretariat, 31 per cent of respondents confirmed that new legislation had been put in place as a direct result of IPU assemblies, programmes, initiatives and resolutions. Of the sample, 75 per cent also said that they had taken concrete actions following IPU meetings. All […]
An Opinion piece published on the Devex.com Parliaments make a concrete difference in people’s everyday lives. That includes everything from establishing the conditions to create jobs to safeguarding freedom of speech to increasing budget allocations for health workers in rural areas. They are at the heart of inclusive decision-making — without their effective involvement policies […]
An end-of-year message from IPU leadership.We should never take democracy for granted. Many of our parents and grandparents fought for it in the Second World War and in battles for independence from colonial rule. In the 1990s we celebrated the collapse of authoritarian rule and the birth of new parliaments in various parts of the […]
Press Release from the IPU in margins of COP25 in Madrid Experts and parliamentarians meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) underscored the urgency of parliamentary action to mitigate the effects of the climate emergency. Over 100 MPs from more than 30 countries attended the IPU’s annual parliamentary meeting during […]
Over 1700 parliamentarians and UN and civil society partners from around the world will meet in Belgrade, Serbia, from 13 to 17 October for the 141st IPU Assembly. Under the overarching theme of Strengthening international law: Parliamentary roles and mechanisms, and the contribution of regional cooperation, MPs will also discuss the latest developments to improve […]
From 2-6 September 2019, in partnership with the Chair of the APPG for Lebanon, Rt Hon John Hayes MP, BGIPU hosted a delegation of three parliamentarians from Lebanon. The delegation was led by Mr Yassine Jaber MP as chair of the British-Lebanese Friendship Croup and Chair of the Lebanese Foreign Affairs Committee. He was joined […]
The IPU brought together more than 140 parliamentarians from 50 parliaments to review progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the annual High-level Political Forum at the United Nations in New York this week. The main theme of the 2019 session, held under the aegis of the Economic and Social Council, was “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”.
