The 148th Assembly of the IPU will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, on 23-27 March 2024. All IPU statutory bodies, including the Governing Council, Standing Committees, Committees on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and on Middle East Questions, as well as the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young MPs, will meet on […]
Latin America has a wealth of vital natural resources, but it also struggles with deforestation, rapid biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change. In an era of escalating environmental challenges, this puts it on the front line of the battle for our planet’s future. The conflict between public and private interest is a major part of […]
This was my first visit to Costa Rica and Panama, as part of a delegation alongside seasoned experts in the region, Baroness Hooper and Lord Mountevans. The visit was immensely informative and was arranged impeccably by the hosts and our Embassies in both countries, with the advantage too that for most of the time in […]
No visit to Panama would be complete without a look at the Canal Locks in action. We met with the President of the Canal Authority, Aristedes Royo Sanchez, who is a former President of Panama and father of the current Ambassador to London, Natalia Royo, and Victor Vial, the VP for Finance. The Canal is […]
Unusually and unexpectedly our delegation consisted of three Peers, Baroness Northover, Lord Mountevans and myself, supported by Holly Sloan from the BGIPU Secretariat. The original delegation had been carefully selected to reflect balance and ongoing interest in the Region. This was scuppered by the House of Commons Whips who, it appears, no longer accept the […]
Tulia Ackson, Speaker of the Parliament of Tanzania, became the 31st IPU President following elections in October 2023. In her first IPU interview last November, she describes her journey to the Presidency and outlines her main priorities for the next three years.
Huge strides in artificial intelligence (AI) have dominated the headlines these past few months. But beyond the buzz, what are the risks but also the opportunities when it comes to democracy, human rights and the rule of law? Will AI be the great disrupter of elections in 2024 with more than half the world’s population going to the polls? […]
On the eve of its 135th year, the IPU has never been so close to universal membership, with the accession in 2023 of the parliaments of Liberia and the Bahamas, our 179th and 180th Members respectively, as well as many observers and partners signing up to join or rejoin our global parliamentary community. This, together […]
Parliaments were in the spotlight on 6 December 2023 in Dubai at COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference, at a day of parliamentary meetings organized by the IPU and the Federal National Council (FNC), the Parliament of the United Arab Emirates. The meeting was attended by over 500 parliamentarians, including dozens of Speakers, from some 60 countries, […]
The Parliamentary Meeting, scheduled in conjunction with the 28th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), is a collaborative effort between the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the UAE’s Federal National Council. Taking place on December 6th, 2023, in Dubai, UAE, this gathering will convene global parliaments to facilitate […]
