World to celebrate International Day of Parliamentarism
In 2018, for the first time, the international community will be celebrating the International Day of Parliamentarism on 30 June. This new international day was agreed by the United Nations General Assembly on 22 May 2018 in the course of adopting its latest resolution on the interaction between the United Nations, national parliaments and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). This day was chosen as it is the date of the founding of the IPU by UK Member of Parliament Sir William Randal Cremer MP and his French counterpart, Frederic Passy in 1889.
The International Day of Parliamentarism will be an opportunity to recognise the important role played by parliaments as the core institution of democracy and the responsibilities of parliamentarians in representing people to ensure they have a say in how they are governed. It will also be a key opportunity to celebrate our global parliamentary community and to promote the values that we hold dear, namely: strong parliaments, gender equality, human rights, sustainable development, peace and security, global governance and youth. The day this year will also kick-off a year of celebrations as the IPU enters its 130th year in advance of its anniversary on 30 June 2019.
The IPU President speaks at UNGA on 22 May 2018 on the adoption of the resolution on the UN's interaction with national parliaments and the IPU
The IPU is the global organisation of national parliaments founded on 30 June 1889
The IPU President, Senator Gabriela Cuevas Barron and the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres
