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.
The National Assembly of Nicaragua has introduced a legislative impact analysis tool to support the work of MPs and committees in legislation making and post-legislative scrutiny activity. The tool allows for the recording of impact indicators for policy implementation, generating quantitative reports and analyses.
The Members of Parliament in this video, Florence Ivette Levy Wilson and Arling Patricia Alonso Gómez, praise the value of the tool for impact analysis and specifically for promoting inclusiveness and mainstreaming in areas of gender, intergenerational poverty reduction, environment and intercultural participation. The indicators and reporting are aligned with tracking of the implementation of Nicaragua's national plan for poverty reduction and fulfilment of the SDGs.