The IPU facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development around the world.
Nearly every country in the world has some form of parliament. Parliamentary systems fall into two categories: bicameral and unicameral. Out of 190 national parliaments in the world, 78 are bicameral (156 chambers) and 112 are unicameral, making a total of 268 chambers of parliament with some 44,000 members of parliament. IPU membership is made up of 180 national parliaments
The Parliamentary Forum at the HLPF is designed to engage parliamentarians in assessing progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level.
Throughout the year, the IPU and its Members organize many events for parliamentarians to exchange good practices, acquire the latest information and identify avenues for action.
The IPU has been collecting data on parliaments since its inception in 1889, including information on women’s participation in politics since 1945. In this section, discover the IPU's knowledge bank for and about parliaments.
In October 2022, the 145th IPU Assembly adopted the resolution entitled Parliamentary impetus to local and regional development of countries with high levels of international migration and to stopping all forms, including state-sponsored, of human-trafficking and human rights abuses. The resolution “calls upon all governments and parliaments to take holistic meaningful and coordinated action, including enacting and enforcing legislation criminalizing trafficking and smuggling”.
To shed light on these issues of concern and support the mobilization of young parliamentarians to work on solutions from a policymaking perspective, the IPU is organizing the fifth online briefing of its Empowerment Series for young parliamentarians on forced labour and human trafficking.
IPU Members are invited to register one young male and one young female parliamentarian to participate in the briefing. Presentations by experts will be followed by discussion among young MPs aimed at sharing good practices on the elimination of forced labour and human trafficking.
Simultaneous interpretation will be available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.