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.
This tutorial will outline the different elements that make for the public engagement journey, demonstrating why engagement is not simply about receiving information or about participating. Thinking of public engagement as a journey encourages us to reflect on how different elements such as information, education and participation link together, and the effect they have on the citizen. The tutorial will be led by Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira (University of Leeds, UK) and will include group work to encourage participants to reflect on how their institution could meet the public engagement journey.