Theme: Trade and Sustainable Development

The meeting began with discussions concerning the impact of climate change and the road to COP26 as Madagascar faces climate-induced famine after a shortage of rainfall for the last four years.

Key exchange with Madagascar counterparts in advance of COP26

On 20 September 2021, BGIPU hosted a virtual bilateral meeting with Members of the National Assembly in Madagascar. The meeting was chaired by Tim Loughton MP, who had previously led a BGIPU delegation out to Madagascar in 2017. He was joined by Alex Sobel MP, Baroness Sheehan, Baroness Walmsley, Lord Thomas and Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Madagascar, David Ashley. […]

IPU President, Duarte Pacheco said “Over the past year, we have seen how governments have used the pandemic as a pretext to roll back human rights and weaken democracy.

World Conference of Speakers adopts declaration for more effective global solidarity

The world’s top legislators gathered in Vienna, Austria this week for the first major in-person international parliamentary meeting in over 18 months. The Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament brought together close to 100 Speakers from some 115 national parliaments and the heads of over a dozen regional and other parliamentary organizations. Afghanistan, climate change and […]

Over 110 Speakers of Parliament from around the world are expected to come to Vienna for the first physical large-scale inter-parliamentary meeting since the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

World Conference of Speakers of Parliament to meet in person in Vienna on 7-8 September

The Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, the world’s largest gathering of the highest level of parliamentary representation, will take place in Vienna, Austria on 7-8 September. Organized jointly by the IPU and the Austrian Parliament, in cooperation with the United Nations, this in-person segment of the conference follows a virtual session held in August 2020. […]

Forest fires in Turkey August 2021 ©Omer Kundakci / Anadolu Agency via AFP

Specialised IPU resources will help parliamentarians fight climate change

The recently published sixth report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a wake-up call for parliamentarians the world over. Eight years in the making, and drawing on the work of hundreds of experts and scientific studies, the report confirms that humans are unequivocally the cause of climate change, and worse, it is occurring […]

On 7 July BGIPU and Canning House co-hosted the second of its virtual Latin America roundtables receiving briefings from Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Peru, HE Kate Harrisson, and Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Mexico, HE Corin Robertson.

MPs/Peers hear about developments in Mexico and Peru from UK Ambassadors

On 7 July BGIPU and Canning House co-hosted the second of its virtual Latin America roundtables to mark this year’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Leadership Week. The meeting was chaired by BGIPU Executive Committee Member and Latin America APPG Chair, Mark Menzies MP, with discussion moderated by BGIPU Executive Committee Member and Latin America […]

On 24 June, BGIPU hosted the second of its regional COP26 meetings, this one focussing on the Asia-Pacific. Parliamentarians from across the region were presented with an excellent opportunity to discuss their legislative, scrutiny, budgetary and oversight roles to advance climate ambition.

UK’s COP26 Ambassador responds to climate ambitions of Asia-Pacific MPs

On 24 June, BGIPU hosted the second of its regional COP26 meetings, this one focusing on the Asia-Pacific. Parliamentarians from across the region were presented with an excellent opportunity to discuss their legislative, scrutiny, budgetary and oversight roles to advance climate ambition. Former Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Barry Gardiner MP, […]

COP26 will bring together parties from around the world to advance action on climate change to meet the goals and objectives of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). ©Joshua Hibbert

IPU holds virtual explanatory session with UNFCCC, BGIPU and Italian Parliament on COP26

As reported by the IPU, in preparation for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in November 2021 in Glasgow, the IPU hosted a virtual inter-parliamentary meeting on COP26 on 24 June, in collaboration with the British Group of the IPU and the Italian Chamber of Deputies. COP26 will bring together parties […]

On 22 June, BGIPU hosted a virtual bilateral meeting between UK Members of Parliament and Members of the Chilean Congress. Discusions highlighted common challnges around addressing the global pandemic, energy and climate issues.

Chile meeting highlights shared priorities addressing pandemic & climate issues

On 22 June, BGIPU hosted a virtual bilateral meeting between UK Members of Parliament and Members of the Chilean Congress. The meeting, which served as a follow-up to a bilateral engagement BGIPU hosted in January, was attended by Senator Kenneth Pugh, Deputy Javier Macaya, Chile’s Ambassador to the UK, HE David Gallagher, Baroness Hooper, Lord […]

On 8 June 2021, BGIPU hosted a virtual COP26 Latin America Meeting. It gathered Members of Parliament from eleven Latin American parliaments to share details of how they are legislating and scrutinising governments to enhance climate commitments in preparation for November’s COP26 Summit.

Meeting on COP26 with MPs from Latin America highlights urgency for action

On 8 June 2021, BGIPU hosted a virtual COP26 Latin America Meeting. It gathered Members of Parliament from eleven Latin American parliaments to share details of how they are legislating and scrutinising governments to enhance climate commitments in preparation for November’s COP26 Summit. BGIPU Treasurer and COP26 IPU Rapporteur, Alex Sobel MP chaired the meeting which […]