- 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.
- Parliaments
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 parliamentsFind a national parliament
The Swiss National Council © The Swiss Parliament
We help strengthen parliaments to make them more representative and effective. - Knowledge
Discover the IPU's resources
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' databaseIPU on air- Conversations about parliamentary action
Consultancy
Deadline:
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the global organization of national parliaments. It currently has 178 Member Parliaments. The IPU promotes democratic governance, institutions and values, working with parliaments and parliamentarians to articulate and respond to the needs and aspirations of
Voices and videos
07/07/2023
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has prompted many experts to warn about its impacts on democracy. With that in mind, the IPU is preparing a series of five articles on the topic. In this second piece, the IPU
Voices and videos
05/07/2023
As part of the IPU series called 'A conversation with...', we interview parliamentarians from all over the world to find out who they represent and what motivates them. In this edition, we discover Anca Dragu, former President of the Senate
Case studies
04/07/2023
Helping young people to learn about parliament is vital for the future of democracy. Parliaments have been engaging young people in recent decades in various ways, such as school tours, role play games, youth parliaments and competitions. The common aim
Case studies
03/07/2023
In many countries, MPs face significant risks for simply doing their jobs. In some extreme cases, MPs who are critical of the governing powers are incarcerated, tortured or even murdered. Those responsible for such acts rarely face any legal consequences
Voices and videos
30/06/2023
Watch the celebration of the International Day of Parliamentarism and the 134th anniversary of the IPU live from the Senate Chamber in the Parliament of Portugal. From 9:30-11:00 am (UTC) https://canal.parlamento.pt/?chid=18&title=emissao-linear
Press releases
29/06/2023
Lisbon, Portugal, 29 June 2023. For immediate release. On the eve of its 134-year anniversary and the International Day of Parliamentarism, the IPU and Uruguay have signed an agreement with the objective of opening a regional IPU office in Montevideo
Voices and videos
28/06/2023
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has prompted many experts to warn about its impacts on democracy. To explore this issue further, the IPU is preparing a series of five articles on the topic. In this first piece, IPU