- 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
Case studies
27/02/2023
Elections in Colombia saw a political shift in 2022, and the greatest gains in terms of women’s representation in the Americas. The new government includes Francia Márquez, the country’s first Afro-Colombian vice-president and only the second woman to hold this
Case studies
27/02/2023
In 2022, Australia achieved record-breaking shares of women in both chambers of parliament, making it, along with New Zealand, the subregion with the highest average proportion of women MPs across both houses (46.4%). The Senate of Australia was the only
Statements
24/02/2023
Statement by the IPU Gender Partnership Group The IPU firmly believes that the equitable participation of women in politics is essential for strong democracies and for sustainable development. We stand in support of women’s political participation and representation in Nigeria
Press releases
23/02/2023
The 146th IPU Assembly will be held in Manama, Bahrain from 11 to 15 March 2023, hosted by the Parliament of Bahrain. Hundreds of parliamentarians from all over the world are expected to attend the deliberations on the overall theme
Voices and videos
16/02/2023
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 Dr. Ousmane Bougouma, the Speaker of the
Statements
10/02/2023
Geneva, Switzerland, 9 February 2023 On the invitation of the IPU Secretary General, a delegation from the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT) of Burkina Faso, led by its President, Dr. Ousmane Bougouma, today visited IPU headquarters. The visit took place in