Events
The full advance programme of meetings being convened globally by the Inter-Parliamentary Union can be accessed here and BGIPU will call for nominations of interested MPs/Peers to form UK delegations for such events through the All Party Whip Notice and regular all member e-mails. UK participation in IPU activities without formal approval and selection by the BGIPU Executive Committee is not permitted.
In addition, the BGIPU regularly hosts lectures and meetings within the Palace of Westminster when Parliament is sitting on current topical issues in international affairs. Details of upcoming BGIPU events will be listed below and members’ nominations for participating in delegations will be sought through the All Party Notice circulated by the Government Whips Office during sitting times.
As a fully-funded parliamentary body, we can only reply to queries on how to participate in official BGIPU activities from MPs and Peers or parliamentary staff using internal parliamentary e-mail addresses. More general enquiries about our work can be directed to bgipu@parliament.uk
VISIT BY JOHN SMITH TRUST EXILED BELARUSIAN FELLOWS | 10 DECEMBER 2025
BGIPU will be hosting a visit by Fellows on the John Smith Trust’s Leaders in Exile: ‘Future of Belarus’ Programme on 10 December. Members wishing to meet with the Fellows are asked to contact Henry Collison at collisonh@parliament.uk.
ROUNDTABLE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE | 21 JANUARY 2026 | 1500 | IPU ROOM
BGIPU is hosting a round table on Violence Against Women in Public Life, discussing harassment of women MPs and journalists. The meeting will take place on Wednesday 21st January 1500-1600 in the IPU Room chaired by Pam Cox MP. Speakers will include Bénite Dibateza from CPAHQ to discuss the harassment of women MPs in Asia-Pacific, Penny East, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society will touch on the impact on British women MPs, with a BBC World Service Journalist TBC. Members wishing to attend are asked to contact Rhiannon Edwards at edwardsrl@parliament.uk.
VISIT BY POLISH DELEGATION | 26-29 JANUARY 2026
BGIPU will be hosting a visit by a parliamentary delegation from Poland during 26-29 January. Those wishing to meet with the delegation are asked to contact Henry Collison at collisonh@parliament.uk.
VISIT BY JOHN SMITH TRUST WIDER EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA FELLOWS | 4 FEBRUARY 2026
BGIPU will be hosting a visit by Fellows on the John Smith Trust’s Wider Europe and Central Asia Programme on 4 February. Members wishing to meet with the Fellows are asked to contact Chiara De Vita at devitac@parliament.uk.
ROUNDTABLE ON THE SAHEL | 10 FEBRUARY 2026 | 17:00-18:30 | IPU ROOM
BGIPU is hosting a roundtable on the current situation in the Sahel, with a particular focus on Sudan. The meeting will take place on Tuesday 10 February 17:00-18:30 in the IPU Room and will be chaired by Anneliese Dodds MP. Speakers are yet to be announced. Members wishing to attend are asked to contact Chiara De Vita at devitac@parliament.uk.
BGIPU DELEGATION TO MOLDOVA AND ROMANIA | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2026
BGIPU hopes to send a delegation to Moldova and Romania in February or March 2026. Members wishing to express an early interest in this visit are asked to contact Joe Perry at joe.perry@parliament.uk.
CSW70 | NEW YORK | W/C 9 MARCH 2026
The 70th Conference on the Commission on the Status of Women IPU meeting will take place during the week of the 9th March 2026 at the UN in New York. Members wishing to apply should contact Rhiannon Edwards at edwardsrl@parliament.uk.
BGIPU DELEGATION TO BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA | w/b 16 MARCH 2026
BGIPU plans to send a delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina during the week of 16 March 2026. Members wishing to apply for this visit are asked to contact Henry Collison at collisonh@parliament.uk.
CALLING ALL MEMBERS AND STAFF WITH FOREIGN LANGUAGES
To help us welcome our visiting delegations it would be incredibly useful to know if Members and staff have any foreign languages – please contact Dominique Rees at reesd@parliament.uk to register any language skill.
