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International Relations

Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

The global organisation of national parliaments, founded in 1889 and based in Geneva; exams ask about its founders, HQ, president and India's links.

Pareto Academy · updated 26 October 2026

At a glance

The Inter-Parliamentary Union is the world organisation of national parliaments. It brings legislators from different countries together to promote dialogue, democracy, human rights and stronger parliaments, and it works closely with the United Nations. Its members are parliaments, not governments, and India's Parliament is a member.

Key facts

  • Founded: 30 June 1889, in Paris, as the Inter-Parliamentary Conference
  • Founders: Frédéric Passy (France) and William Randal Cremer (United Kingdom)
  • Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland (since 1921)
  • Members: about 183 national parliaments plus 15 associate members (mostly regional parliamentary bodies)
  • President: Milton Dick, Speaker of Australia's House of Representatives (elected 9 October 2026)
  • Previous President: Tulia Ackson (Tanzania), 2023–2026
  • Secretary General: Martin Chungong (Cameroon)
  • UN status: permanent observer at the UN General Assembly since 2002
  • Assemblies: two a year, one usually in Geneva and one hosted by a member parliament
  • Assemblies held in India: 57th (1969) and 89th (1993), both in New Delhi
  • Nobel link: eight people associated with the IPU have won the Nobel Peace Prize, including founders Passy (1901) and Cremer (1903)

How it works

  • Assembly: the main statutory body; meets twice a year and adopts resolutions on peace and security, sustainable development, democracy and human rights, and UN affairs.
  • Governing Council: made up of representatives of all member parliaments; elects the President and the Secretary General and decides policy and budget.
  • Executive Committee: a smaller body that oversees administration.
  • President: elected for a three-year term; the post rotates among the IPU's geopolitical groups.
  • Secretariat: in Geneva, headed by the Secretary General.

The IPU also runs a Forum of Women Parliamentarians and a Forum of Young Parliamentarians, publishes data on women in parliaments, and defends MPs facing persecution through its Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians. The UN marks 30 June, the IPU's founding day, as the International Day of Parliamentarism.

Recent developments

  • 9 Oct 2026: At the 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania, Milton Dick of Australia was elected IPU President, succeeding Tulia Ackson of Tanzania.

Exam traps

  • The IPU is headquartered in Geneva, not New York or Paris (it was founded in Paris).
  • Its members are national parliaments, not states or governments, so it is not a UN agency; it only has observer status at the UNGA.
  • The IPU (1889) is older than the League of Nations (1920) and the UN (1945).
  • The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (London) is a different body.
  • 30 June is International Day of Parliamentarism; do not confuse it with International Day of Democracy (15 September).

Quick check

  • Q: Where is the IPU headquartered? A: Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Q: Who was elected IPU President in October 2026? A: Milton Dick of Australia.
  • Q: In which year was the IPU founded? A: 1889.

Further reading

Sources

In the news

Every time this topic has appeared in our current affairs, newest first:

  1. Week of 8–14 October 2026Australia's Milton Dick elected President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union