IPU’s Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, which for more than 30 years has been a unique opportunity for women MPs globally to meet in person and provide input into international decision-making, has a new name – the Forum of Women Parliamentarians. Its organizing body, the Co-ordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians will now be known as the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians. The changes were agreed by MPs attending the 134th IPU Assembly in Lusaka and were aimed at better communicating the remit and functioning of the group. The Women MPs’ Forum will continue to meet at IPU’s twice-yearly assemblies to build on work to empower and encourage women MPs and ensure that their voices are heard in the wider work of IPU. With latest figures showing that only 22.6 per cent of the world’s 45,000 MPs are women, IPU remains committed to achieving gender equality both within its own structures and in the world’s parliaments.
- ImpactWe help parliaments to become greener and to implement the Paris agreement.We support democracy by strengthening parliamentsWe work to increase women’s representation in parliament and empower women MPs.We defend the human rights of parliamentarians and help them uphold the rights of all.We help parliaments fight terrorism, cyber warfare and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.We encourage youth participation in parliaments and empower young MPs.We support parliaments in implementing the SDGs with a particular focus on health and climate change.
- ParliamentsNearly 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
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We help strengthen parliaments to make them more representative and effective. - EventsVirtual eventThe International Court of Justice (ICJ) was constituted under the United Nations Charter to help nations settle disputes peacefully in accordance with international law.
- Knowledge
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Our library of essential resources for parliamentsGlobal data for and about national parliamentsLatest data and reports about women in parliamentResolutions, declarations and outcomes adopted by IPU MembersRecent innovations in the way parliaments workThe latest climate change legislation from the London School of Economics' database