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
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.
Arab Regional Parliamentary Forum on the 2030 Agenda: The role of parliaments in building back better for all
-
Summary
Parliaments are playing a critical role in the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. The 2021 Arab Regional Parliamentary Forum on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers a timely opportunity for regional dialogue and peer learning regarding the pandemic and for exploring possible solutions to common challenges.
The Forum will consider the role of parliaments in ensuring that no one is left behind. It will focus on existing attempts to strengthen legislative frameworks to protect the rights of older people, one of the region's most vulnerable groups, facing intersectional challenges including health risks, poverty and exclusion.
Main discussion points:
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab region;
Parliaments’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic through their lawmaking, oversight, representative and budgeting functions;
Parliaments’ role in ensuring no one is left behind during crisis response and in efforts to build back better, with a particular focus on older people;
Parliaments’ institutional responses that have enabled their continued functioning despite restrictions on mobility and newly imposed safety requirements.
The Forum is being jointly organized by ESCWA and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme. Key messages will feed into the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development for 2022.
Documents for the event are available in English and Arabic.