The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), whose headquarters have been in Geneva since 1921, is the international organisation of parliaments. It was founded in 1889 and is the oldest international institution of a political nature.

The IPU’s aims are:

• to facilitate contact, coordination and the exchange of ideas between parliaments and members of parliament of all countries;
• to address issues of international interest and to give an opinion on them with a view to encouraging action on the part of parliaments and members of parliament; such issues concern peace and security, sustainable development, women in politics, education, science and culture;
• to help to defend and promote human rights – an essential factor in parliamentary democracy and development – and humanitarian law, and in particular the human rights of members of parliament;
• to help improve awareness of how representative institutions function and to strengthen and develop their means of action.

Members

Secretariat of the delegation