IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Dansk Interparlamentarisk Gruppes bestyrelse 2021-22
IPU Alm.del Bilag 14
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Impact Report

2017-2021

The IPU

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the global

organization of national parliaments. It was founded in

1889 as the first multilateral political organization in the

world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between

all nations.

Today, the IPU comprises 178 national member

parliaments and 14 regional parliamentary bodies.

It promotes democracy, helps parliaments become

stronger, younger, gender-balanced, and more diverse.

It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians

through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from

around the world.

Cover: A hybrid plenary session in the

Argentinian Chamber of Deputies. More

than 100 Parliaments took part in the

IPU’s campaign ‘Parliaments in a time of

pandemic’ in 2020. © IPU

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Contents

Foreword

OBJECTIVE 1

Build strong, democratic parliaments

OBJECTIVE 2

Advance gender equality and respect for women’s rights

OBJECTIVE 3

Protect and promote human rights

OBJECTIVE 4

Contribute to peacebuilding, conflict prevention and security

OBJECTIVE 5

Promote inter-parliamentary dialogue and cooperation

OBJECTIVE 6

Youth empowerment

OBJECTIVE 7

Mobilize parliaments around the global development agenda

OBJECTIVE 8

Bridge the democracy gap in international relations

Towards universal membership

How the IPU is funded

Budgets 2017-2021

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

5 YEARS IN FIGURES

2021 compared with 2017

Offices worldwide

2 in 2017

3 in 2021

(Geneva, Vienna, New York)

Publications

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Membership

171 parliaments in 2017

Events for MPs

2017

2018

178 in 2021

2019

2020

2021

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Website

65,000 visitors in 2017

380,000 in 2021

Twitter

5,000 followers in 2017

33,000 in 2021

IPU Assemblies

Number of women MPs

% pts

39% in 2021

31% in 2017

Number of young MPs

% pts

25% in 2021

19% in 2018

MP human rights cases at the IPU

507 MPs in 2017

673 in 2021

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

2017-2021: Five years of IPU Impact

In 2017 as we set out on a new strategic cycle, our objective

was “the advancement of democratic values, the rule of law and

strong, representative institutions, and the promotion of gender

equality and human rights. Five years on, what impact have we

”

had? What difference has the IPU made? And can we claim to

have had a lasting and positive impact on people’s lives?

This report describes some of our most significant results

in the eight strategic objectives set by the IPU’s Member

Parliaments five years ago.

Despite setbacks for democracy in many countries, we re-

mained steadfast in our mission to

build strong, democratic

parliaments.

The COVID-19 pandemic was an opportunity to confirm our

role as the global link between national parliaments, facilitating

knowledge exchange on digital innovations to help them keep

functioning during lockdowns. Over 100 parliaments contribut-

ed to our campaign ‘Parliaments

in a time of pandemic’.

IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong

One silver lining of the pandemic has been the acceleration of the IPU’s digital transformation, enabling

us to fast forward significant investments in IT and improved technology for virtual meetings. These

investments helped us organize the online election of the IPU President, Duarte Pacheco, in November

2020, a first in digital democracy at the IPU and possibly the world.

Our work to

advance gender equality and respect for women’s rights

also intensified in the past

strategic cycle. The IPU has undoubtedly contributed to a steady increase in the number of women MPs

in the world, from 23.4% in 2017 to close to 26% at the end of 2021, as we encourage parliaments to

become more inclusive and gender sensitive.

Indeed, our data on the proportion of women in political leadership have become the global reference,

frequently cited in top-tier media outlets, academic publications and used as the official reference indi-

cator by the United Nations for Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality.

IPU data also shone a light for the first time on the shocking levels of violence against women in parlia-

ments with ground-breaking pieces of research covering the world, as well as focusing on Europe and

Africa. The IPU also offered solutions to eliminate sexism, harassment and violence against women in

parliament, which many Members are now starting to put in place.

Attacks against MPs, both women and men, has become a growing phenomenon tracked by the IPU

Committee on the

Human Rights

of Parliamentarians. Year on year, this unique global committee has

taken multiple actions to defend hundreds of MPs in danger –947 parliamentarians from 51 countries

between 2017 and 2021, a figure which is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

The Committee has recorded many success stories with its interventions helping to resolve human

rights violations suffered by MPs in Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq

and Malaysia.

The founding IPU values of dialogue for

peace-building, conflict prevention and security

are as rele-

vant today as they were 133 years ago when the IPU was born. Over the past five years, we organized

numerous mediation talks, including between parliamentarians from opposite sides of the Korean

peninsula, the two communities in Cyprus and in the Middle East.

We also helped Members develop parliamentary strategies for comprehensive disarmament as well as

for countering terrorism and violent extremism.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

As the global organization of national parliaments, we were able to rally parliamentarians from all over the

world to our in-person or online meetings, fulfilling our long-standing role to promote

inter-parliamentary

dialogue and cooperation.

Over the past five years, we have brought together thousands of MPs from around the world to take

action on the issues of the day at our Assemblies in Dhaka, St. Petersburg, Geneva, Doha, Belgrade,

online and in Madrid. The pandemic in 2020 did not prevent us from organizing a virtual segment of the

Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, followed by an in-person segment in Vienna 2021,

the first global summit to be held since the beginning of the health crisis.

IPU meetings saw a notable increase in the participation of young MPs – from 19% in 2017 to 25% in

2021, as we put in place incentives to encourage younger delegations.

In 2020, we marked the ten-year anniversary of the IPU resolution on

youth participation

in parlia-

ments. Over the decade, we have helped parliaments lower the age of eligibility, introduce youth quotas

and establish new parliamentary structures for youth.

However, the number of young MPs under 30 remains low at just 2.6% of MPs. To help improve this,

we launched a new communications campaign in 2020:

I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament!

In just a few

months, hundreds of global leaders signed up to the campaign, pledging to take action to rejuvenate

their parliaments. Next steps are to follow up on these pledges.

The past five years have also seen a marked increase in our action to

mobilize parliaments around

the global development agenda,

including climate change and health.

As more parliaments engage with the Sustainable Development Goals, the IPU has helped them build

up their knowledge and skills. For example,

Parliaments and the Sustainable Development Goals – a

self-assessment toolkit,

an IPU publication produced with the United Nations Development Programme,

is now available in 15 languages, proving its usefulness.

Finally, another example of how the IPU has influenced parliaments in the global development agenda is

its work to engage parliaments in United Nations processes, and vice versa, to

bridge the democracy

gap in international relations.

We have witnessed a steady increase in the number of parliaments reviewing national progress on the

Sustainable Development Goals as part of the United Nations voluntary national review process - from

under 25% of Members polled in 2016 to over 55% in 2020.

As we close this chapter and start implementing the next IPU Strategy 2022-2026, we will continue

to be guided by our Members to build stronger and more resilient parliamentary ecosystems, with

parliaments as the centerpiece, for democracy, for everyone.

The work of the IPU’s Centre for Innovation in Parliament and the forthcoming Global Parliamentary

Report on Public engagement in the work of parliament are good examples of how the IPU will embrace

resilience and adaptability in its next agenda.

Martin Chungong

Secretary General

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

STR

PARLIAM

OBJECTIVE 1

Build strong, democratic

parliaments

The last five years, and particularly 2021, have seen major assaults on democracy in

many parts of the world. These upheavals are often a result of wider historical or political

factors, but they highlight the fact that democracy is a work in progress and needs constant

support to thrive.

The IPU’s Strategy for 2017-2021 has focused on strengthening the core legislative,

oversight, budgetary and representative functions of parliaments by collecting and

disseminating data, providing technical assistance, and fostering opportunities for peer

networking. By strengthening these core functions, the IPU enables parliaments to become

stronger democratic institutions to help meet the aspirations of the people.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Our impact between 2017-2021

Parliaments innovate in response to COVID-19

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, parliaments were forced to find new

ways of working. Building on its network of contacts, the IPU has helped

parliaments to share knowledge and experience of remote working, enabling

parliaments to keep operating despite the pandemic. Since March 2020,

more than 100 parliaments have participated in this knowledge exchange.

Bolstering core parliamentary functions

One of the key areas of support in the past five years has been to legislation and

oversight, including budget oversight. The IPU has built parliamentary capacity for

these functions in Benin, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, the Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan,

Sierra Leone and Tunisia.

In Benin, the IPU helped MPs – and staff – to draft legislation, including by

working more effectively together. In the Maldives, parliamentary staff learned

to identify daily tasks and how better to support legislative drafting. In Sierra

Leone, an IPU-supported workshop helped MPs to better understand their new

budget approval process. MPs and staff in Chad also honed their skills in legis-

lative drafting as well as public policy oversight, highlighting the importance of

collaboration and trust.

In Djibouti, the IPU helped create a

standing parliamentary committee

on human rights, as well as a cau-

cus of women parliamentarians. IPU

support strengthened representa-

tion, oversight and legislative work by

Djibouti’s National Assembly, which

adopted a new law on violence against

139

parliaments

have endorsed the

Common Principles

“Indeed, the seminar that the IPU organized for our benefit enabled us to

be more than ready to welcome the members of the Transitional National

Council, Chad’s new legislative body. The members of the new chamber told

us they were bowled over by how well-organized we were.

”

Senior staff, parliament of Chad (2021)

women in 2020.

Putting parliaments in the driving seat

Self-assessments are important first steps to strengthening parliamentary capacity.

The IPU supported self-assessments, using an IPU suite of toolkits, with the national

parliaments of Djibouti, Georgia, Myanmar and Zambia. Zambia’s self-assessment

led to further collaboration with the IPU in 2020 and 2021.

From 2012 until Myanmar’s military

“Support provided by the IPU over many years is standing the test of time

coup in February 2021, the IPU had

and being used even now (since the coup).

”

also been providing long-term assis-

tance to the country’s national parlia-

Chair, Committee Representing the

ment, including the establishment of

Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (parliament of Myanmar), (2021)

an international-standard parliamenta-

ry learning centre and related technical assistance. The centre was used to build

capacity for more than 800 MPs and 2,000 parliamentary staff.

Setting standards to strengthen parliaments

By referring to “effective, accountable and inclusive institutions” Goal 16 of the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlights the importance of parliaments

for development. The IPU worked with Member Parliaments during this period to

Olaf Scholz is applauded by MPs after he

was elected as Germany’s new Chancellor

during a session at the Bundestag in Berlin

in December 2021. © Ina Fassbender/AFP

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Seminar on the role of parliaments in peace processes, held in February 2020 in Myanmar as part of the IPU’s long-standing work in

strengthening the Myanmar Parliament. © IPU Myanmar

identify standards, guidelines and good practices that will

help them to operationalize the 2030 Agenda.

The 2017 IPU-UNDP Global Parliamentary Report, for example,

made 26 recommendations for strengthened parliamentary

oversight. In 2018 and 2020, the World e-Parliament Reports

tracked baseline data on parliaments’ use of technology,

including their engagement with citizens. Since late 2019, a

new IPU initiative has been helping parliaments to measure

themselves against the 2030 Agenda targets.

These standards, guidelines and good practices are expected

to have long-term impact, since stakeholders, including civil

society, can also use them to advocate for change.

Using ICT more effectively in Parliament

Information and communications technology (ICT) helps

parliaments to operate more effectively. Throughout this

strategy period, the IPU provided ICT support, such as train-

ing, resources and advice to the parliaments of Myanmar,

Sri Lanka, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Zambia.

The IPU also facilitated south-south and peer-to-peer knowl-

edge sharing between New Zealand, Vanuatu and Tuvalu. In

Tuvalu, the parliament now has an ICT action plan, including a

set of short- and long-term milestones. Vanuatu’s parliament

has a new data storage system, allowing it to digitalize and

store parliamentary documents.

Producing data to support change

The IPU’s Parline database is the global standard for data

on national parliaments. In 2021, more than 450,000 users

consulted Parline, and its data has been referenced by the

OECD, UN and the World Bank.

The data is often used as evidence to advocate for change.

For example, IPU data shows the continued imbalance be-

tween men and women in legislatures, including leadership

positions on parliamentary committees. Whereas women

chaired 69 per cent of committees on gender equality in

2020, they chaired just 17 per cent of committees on finance,

defence and foreign affairs. We are still far from gender parity

in parliamentary leadership positions.

Facilitating learning between parliaments

In 2020, the IPU began to develop an online learning initia-

tive, covering topics such as gender equality, human rights,

sustainable development and climate change. The pilot of

this initiative was launched with the National Assembly of

Zambia in late 2021.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

African and Twelve Plus geopolitical groups lead endorsements of the Common principles for support to parliaments

Members

Eurasia Group

African Group

Arab Group

Twelve Plus

Asia-Pacific

GRULAC

Pending endorsement

Promoting the Common Principles for

Support to Parliaments

The Common Principles are now the most widely accept-

ed framework for parliamentary development, providing a

common language and set of values to frame parliamentary

support. Since 2016, the IPU has hosted three expert round-

tables to share good practice and facilitate their application.

In 2020, the IPU launched a guide,

Putting parliamentary

self-development into practice.

By the end of 2021, some 139 national parliaments had

endorsed the Common Principles, together with 27 parlia-

mentary assemblies and partner organizations.

Case study

Virtual World e-Parliament Conference 2021

In 2021, the IPU organized an online World e-Parliament

Conference, bringing together 650 participants from

119 countries. Held 15 months after the global pan-

demic began, the Conference was an important op-

portunity to exchange good practices and take stock of

the rapid changes in parliamentary working methods.

Discussions focused on the digital transformation, re-

lations with citizens, open data, cloud computing and

artificial intelligence.

Participant feedback

“I am a technology auditor within Parliament and the

Conference assisted me to identify areas of best prac-

tice that my Parliament could adopt and customize.

When making recommendations to management, I will

use some of the Conference material”

“Excellent space to exchange experiences and to im-

plement in our realities everything that has worked in

other latitudes.

”

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

EQUA

In the five-year period 2017-2021, the proportion of women parliamentarians grew slowly

from 23.4 per cent to 26 per cent. The IPU supported parliaments to become more inclusive,

have more women in their chambers, become more gender-sensitive and be better able to

drive the gender equality agenda. It tracked progress in women’s participation in parliament,

made strong calls for parity, promoted legal reform, broke new ground with its campaigns

to eliminate sexual violence and continued to share its data with advocates of reform.

COVID-19 threatened – or even reversed in some cases – some hard-won advances on

women’s empowerment and the fight against gender-based violence. However, the 25-

year anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was an important

opportunity to raise awareness on this vital issue.

Many parliaments developed good practices on gender-responsive legislation, including

the introduction of gender quotas. They have also benefitted from IPU knowledge-sharing

platforms.

OBJECTIVE 2

Advance gender equality and

respect for women’s rights

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Our impact 2017-2021

Eliminating violence against women in parliament

IPU data shone a light on the levels of violence against women in parliament,

a previously unexplored field of research. The IPU also offered solutions to

help parliaments reduce violence against women MPs and parliamentary

staff. Many parliaments have since put in place more stringent policies.

Using data to advocate for parity

IPU data and research on women’s participation in parliament has enabled moni-

toring of progress and setbacks on gender parity in parliaments. Indicator 5.5.1 of

the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which is the proportion of seats held by

women in national parliaments, draws on the IPU’s data.

The IPU also called for more efforts to reach gender parity in political leadership

by 2030. Besides advocacy and support for legal reform, we provided examples of

good practices through our publications. Between 2017 and 2021, our annual report

on Women in Parliament highlighted good practice and legal efforts towards parity.

In 2020, a special edition analysed the 25 years since the 1995 Beijing Declaration

and Platform for Action.

39%

of delegates

were women

at the

143

IPU Assembly.

Meanwhile, in partnership with UN Women, our maps on Women in Politics, illustrat-

ing the levels of women’s participation in political leadership, helped us to advocate

for change. We also published reports in 2016, 2018 and 2021 on

sexism, harassment and violence against women in parliament,

Sexism, harassment and violence against women in

revealing the huge barriers to women’s participation in politics.

parliaments in Africa, Europe and the world

Our 2019 guidelines on preventing sexism also provided solu-

Table I – Extent and nature of violence:

tions that were taken on board by many parliaments.

Since 2020, we have been part of the Generation Equality

Forum, in which we advocate for parity and the participation

of young women in politics. Generation Equality and the UN’s

Commission on the Status of Women are both committed to

the goal of gender parity.

Prevalence of the different forms of violence experienced by the

women parliamentarians interviewed

Africa

(2021)

Psychological violence

Sexual violence

Physical violence

Economic violence

Sustained collaboration with multiple parliaments led to constitu-

tional or legislative amendments and the adoption, improvement

and enhanced implementation of robust quota laws, including in: Benin, Djibouti, Egypt,

Georgia, Mali and Serbia. Our advocacy has also led to changes in countries such as

Micronesia and Qatar.

80%

39%

23%

29%

Europe

(2018)

85%

25%

15%

14%

World

(2016)

82%

22%

25%

33%

Practising what we preach, the IPU amended its Assembly Rules, strenghtening

sanctions on single-sex delegations. The new Rules have had an impact, since over

39 per cent of delegates at the November 2021 IPU Assembly were women, com-

pared with an average of 30 per cent in 2017 Such proactive gender mainstreaming

practices set an example for other organizations.

Women at IPU Assemblies: progression from 2017 to 2021

10%

2017, 137th Assembly

20%

30%

40%

50%

246 women take part in a session at the

Swiss Parliament organized by “alliance F”

a non-political organization of Swiss women,

in October 2021. This number is symbolic as

it corresponds to the total number of Swiss

MPs. © Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

2021, 143rd Assembly

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Launch of the IPU/APU study on

Sexism, harassment and violence against women in parliaments in Africa

during the 143

IPU Assembly

in Madrid. ©IPU/Spanish Parliament

Self-assessing gender-sensitivity

Between 2017 and 2021, we supported five parliaments in

self-assessing their gender-sensitivity, a first step on the

path to reform.

In Georgia, the self-assessment led to a debate on how

the parliament could change the law to increase women’s

parliamentary participation and prevent sexual harassment.

Namibia’s self-assessment showed the prominence of wom-

en in senior parliamentary positions and led to the creation of

a group of women parliamentarians from both the parliamen-

tary houses. In the United Kingdom, a gender-sensitivity audit

raised awareness of violence against women in parliament.

Colombia’s parliament took immediate action to improve

the working environment for women, including a campaign,

Congreso En Igualdad,

to sensitize MPs and the general pub-

lic on representative equality. In Serbia, the Parliament has

amended the electoral laws to introduce a quota, requiring

at least 40 per cent of electoral candidates for parliamentary

and local elections to be women.

Between 2017 and 2021, the number of caucuses of women

parliamentarians grew from 81 to 112, an increase of 38 per

cent. In the past five years, the IPU has supported such cau-

cuses in Djibouti, Mauritania, Namibia, Serbia, Sierra Leone

and Tanzania.

”A gender-sensitive parliament […] plays a relevant

role in correcting inequalities and facilitating equal

participation of men and women. The IPU’s work to define

gender-sensitive parliaments is particularly valuable.

”

Claudia Mix

Member of the Chamber of Deputies (Chile)

IPU Forum of Women Parliamentarians, November 2021

Combatting discrimination and violence

against women

We continued and expanded our partnership with the United

Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination

against Women (CEDAW), connecting the Committee with

parliaments. We also called on parliaments to mainstream the

CEDAW Convention into their national laws and oversee the

elimination of gender-based discrimination.

Between 2017 and 2021, we organized 13 gender equality

workshops for parliamentarians in Benin, Colombia, Djibouti,

Georgia, Kenya, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Serbia, Sierra Leone,

Tanzania, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

IPU support also enabled new legislation on violence against

women in several countries. In Romania, MPs proposed an

amendment to the Penal Code, eliminating the possibility for

aggressors to be exempt from criminal responsibility when a

victim’s complaint is withdrawn. A working group of MPs and

civil society representatives reviewed the law on domestic

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

violence to ensure conformity with obligations under the

Istanbul Convention.

In Mauritania, the IPU helped the women’s parliamentary

caucus to enhance the capacities of its members to advo-

cate for legislation on gender-based violence and reproduc-

tive health. Subsequently, the caucus succeeded in includ-

ing the criminalization of sexual violence and female genital

mutilation in both bills.

Georgia’s parliament adopted anti-harassment legislation

after their 2018 self-assessment, supported by the IPU. In

Djibouti, the IPU’s technical assistance led to new legislation

on gender-based violence. And in Sierra Leone, the parlia-

ment took steps to eliminate female genital mutilation, after

the IPU helped build technical capacity and political support.

A parliamentary caucus was established and is now driving

parliamentary action on the issue with continued support

from the IPU.

In 2021, we helped parliaments to introduce gender-sensitive

responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The online 2020 and

in-person 2021 Summits of Women Speakers of Parliament

also showcased good practices in this respect.

Case study

Fighting sexism

The IPU Guidelines against sexism and gender-based

violence in parliament created momentum and direc-

tion that prompted several parliaments to use this re-

source to develop and implement concrete measures.

Between 2019 and 2021, at least 14 parliaments devel-

oped new measures to address harassment and vio-

lence against women in their own settings: Australia,

Denmark, France (National Assembly), Ireland, Japan,

Mexico (Senate), New Zealand, Norway, Republic

of Korea, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, Uganda, United

Kingdom and United States.

Measures include a comprehensive assessment of

the situation, policies with complaint and investigation

mechanisms, disciplinary sanctions against perpetra-

tors, and the provision of confidential access to assis-

tance for victims. The guidelines have also inspired the

model anti-harassment policy of the Commonwealth

Parliamentary Association and of the Assemblée par-

lementaire de la Francophonie.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

RIG

Parliaments play a critical role in protecting human rights through the translation of

international norms and standards into national realities. In the five-year strategy period,

2017-2021, the IPU supported Member Parliaments in carrying out these responsibilities,

providing them with information, knowledge and training. Parliaments can only stand up

for human rights, however, if they can work without fear of reprisal.

The IPU assisted almost 1000 MPs facing violations of their human rights during this period,

an increasing number of them victims of physical attacks and some even assassinated.

Most of them are opposition MPs working in difficult political environments.

OBJECTIVE 3

Protect and promote human rights

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Our impact between 2017-2021

947 MPs in danger from 51 countries received direct IPU support

175 Women MPs in danger received direct support

71 Hearings held

7 Fact-finding missions carried out

58 Cases resolved satisfactorily

11 Trial observations conducted

228 Decisions adopted

Protecting the human rights of MPs

Human rights violations against MPs have been increasing since the IPU Committee

on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CHRP) was established more than 40 years

ago. A unique mechanism to defend MPs’ rights, the Committee lobbies national

authorities, mobilizes international parliamentary support, conducts on-site visits and

sends observers to trials. The Committee follows a case until a satisfactory settle-

ment has been reached in line with international standards.

Over the past five years, the Committee investigated the cases of 947 parliamentar-

ians in 51 countries. Most cases involve undue government pressure on opposition

MPs in countries suffering a political crisis. The most common violations of MPs’

human rights were undue suspension of parliamentary mandates, lack of fair trial

and violations of freedom of expression.

• The case of former Iraqi MP Mohamed Al-Dainy was satisfactorily resolved in 2017

Al-Dainy fled Iraq before being wrongly sentenced to death in 2010 and was jailed

upon his return home to undergo a retrial. Seven years later, he was finally cleared

of all charges and released under a presidential pardon.

• After years of IPU lobbying, Malaysian MP Anwar Ibrahim was released in 2018,

enabling him to return to parliamentary life.

• Also in 2018, the IPU closed its files on the long-standing case of Piedad Cordoba,

a Colombian MP when the Council of State finally revoked her 2010 disbarments,

which had prevented her from holding public office.

947

MPs in danger

received direct and

continuous support

from the IPU.

• In September 2020, after extensive IPU lobbying, four of five MPs were released

from prison in Côte d’Ivoire. The five MPs had been arbitrarily detained and held

since December 2019.

“I thank the IPU and praise its constant and tireless efforts over the years to

• In 2020, intervention by the IPU

defend the human rights of DRC parliamentarians, and in particular my case.

”

in the Democratic Republic of the

Congo (DRC) allowed MP Jean-

Eugène Diomi Ndongala

Jacques Mamba to return to his

Former MP from the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

country and work without fear of ar-

released in March 2019 after intense IPU lobbying

rest. He had filed a petition that led

to the removal of the First Deputy Speaker, then left the country to avoid detention

on politically motivated charges. He was acquitted in March 2021.

Parliamentary solidarity

When working on such cases, the IPU mobilizes other parliaments to take action

for the individual MP in question. In the past five years, it mobilized 93 such actions.

Malaysian MP Anwar Ibrahim was

released in 2018, partly thanks to many

years of intense IPU lobbying.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

An IPU human rights mission in January 2020 in Uganda. From left to right: Ali Alaradi, MP (Bahrain), Aleksandra Jerkov, MP (Serbia)

from the IPU Committee for the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, with Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (aka Bobi Wine), David Lewis

Rubongoya, Secretary General of the National Unity Platform, and two other members of Bobi Wine’s party. © IPU/R. Rodriguez Valencia

• Cambodia’s 2018 elections were discussed in Malaysia’s

Parliament, with several MPs expressing concern about

dissolution of the main opposition party and a five-year ban

on its members from political participation. MPs requested

the Foreign Minister to clarify their government’s position.

• In 2021, a Swedish IPU delegation met with the Ambassador

of Tanzania to discuss Tundu Lissu, a Tanzanian MP facing

multiple threats, and the possibility of an IPU visit to the

country for further dialogue on the alleged human rights

violations.

• Visiting Iraq in 2018, Ann Clwyd, a British MP and former

member of the CHRP raised the case of former Iraqi MP

Ahmed Al-Alwani. She encouraged the Iraqi Parliament and

relevant officials to discuss the case directly with the CHRP

• In 2019, the Danish Parliament mandated MPs to attend the

court hearings of Selahattin Demirtas, Figen Yüksekdag and

Leyla Güven from Turkey.

• In September 2020, the European Parliament adopted a

new resolution on Philippine Senator Leila De Lima, urging

the authorities to drop all charges and set her free.

• In 2021, Tanzania’s parliament supported IPU mobilization

efforts to protect the human rights of MPs in Myanmar,

pledging diplomatic engagement with the relevant ministry.

Motivating parliaments to promote and

protect human rights

To accelerate implementation of human rights at national

level, the IPU pursued a two-pronged strategy. First, it per-

suaded the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to recognize

that parliaments play a key role in the promotion and protec-

tion of human rights and to engage more closely with them

through the IPU and the Office of the UN High Commissioner

for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Our impact at key moments

June 2017

The UN Human Rights Council adopts

a resolution in support of stronger engagement with

parliaments

March 2017-June 2019

Four side-events organized

during the UN Human Rights Council’s sessions to

raise awareness about parliamentary action in support

of human rights

June 2018

Major contribution to UN report to UN

Human Rights Council on good practices of parliamen-

tary action to promote human rights

November 2018

UN Human Rights Council’s Forum

on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, pre-

sided over by the IPU Secretary General, adopts key

recommendations for further parliamentary engagement.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

The IPU also sought to engage parliaments in the work of the

UN Human Rights Council and UN human rights treaty bodies.

States must report regularly on their human rights work to

these UN mechanisms, and parliaments can play a crucial role.

They can discuss the national report before submission to the

UN, participate in presenting the reports and even debate the

UN recommendations when reviews are complete.

Parliaments can also get involved in the examination of their

country’s human rights record by the Universal Periodic Review

(UPR). The UPR provides an opportunity for UN Member

States to declare actions taken to improve human rights in

their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations.

The IPU actively encourages parliamentary involvement. For ex-

ample, the IPU noted that parliamentarians from Burundi, Côte

d’Ivoire, Qatar, Togo and Uzbekistan participated in the presen-

tation of the national reports as part of the UPR process. The

Parliament of Chad adopted a law creating a National Human

Rights Commission and the National Assembly of Burkina Faso

abolished the death penalty, both of which were recommenda-

tions from the UN Human Rights Council.

The IPU also collects information on parliamentary commit-

tees dedicated to human rights. Besides sending a strong

political message, such committees keep human rights on

the agenda, mainstream the issues, and facilitate interactions

between parliament and other human rights stakeholders.

Specific focus has been placed on the UN Convention on

the Rights of the Child, especially in West Africa to promote

child nutrition and to eradicate child labour and trafficking.

Successes include the adoption by Burkina Faso’s National

Assembly of a national action plan against trafficking and child

labour. The IPU supported first steps by Ivorian parliamen-

tarians to create a fully-fledged parliamentary committee on

human rights.

The IPU also joined forces with the Kailash Satyarthi

Foundation for Children to combat child labour and promote a

fair share for children. Actions include raising awareness and

capacity-building in the regions most impacted.

“The meetings organized by the Inter-Parliamentary

Union are a real platform for sharing experiences. They

provide us with the missing piece in the puzzle of the

ongoing fight for human rights. We call for them to be

held regularly.

”

Kouassi Koffi Kra Paulin

MP, Chair of the IPU Group,

Parliament of Côte d’Ivoire

More impact

875

MPs attend IPU seminars on human rights

434

Written appeals sent to parliaments to help

implement human rights recommendations

MPs participating in national delegations to the

UN Universal Periodic Review

134

Parliaments that have set up dedicated human

rights committees

Case study

Burkina Faso

In line with the UPR recommendations, in May 2018,

the National Assembly of Burkina Faso abolished

the death penalty. It also adopted, in March 2021,

a new law designating the National Human Rights

Commission to function as the country’s National

Prevention Mechanism against Torture.

Enhanced institutional cooperation to

mobilize parliaments on human rights

Throughout the IPU’s work on human rights, partnerships

have provided fresh energy, ideas and networks. Between

2017 and 2021, the IPU joined forces with the Organisation

internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the Secretariat of the

Commonwealth and the OHCHR.

The IPU also worked increasingly with non-governmental or-

ganizations, including UPR Info, GANHRI and the Universal

Rights Group, to encourage parliamentary action on human

rights. For children, the IPU teamed up with UNICEF the UN

Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Kailash Satyarthi

Foundation for Children.

On humanitarian law and refugee protection, the IPU worked

with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR), and generated parliamentary support for the Global

Compact on Refugees, as well as the UN Conventions on

Statelessness.

To support parliaments in strengthening their action, the IPU

and UNHCR produced several handbooks for MPs on model

legislation to reduce and prevent statelessness, as well as on

state asylum systems and refugee protection.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

EBUILDI

The IPU was founded with the view that dialogue is central to the peaceful resolution of

conflict. More than 130 years later, inter-parliamentary dialogue is still helping to prevent

conflict and restore peace around the world. Such dialogue can help parliaments uphold

the rule of law and counter terrorism. By contributing to global peace and security,

parliaments can play a fundamental role in socio-economic development.

During the five-year strategic period, the IPU supported parliaments in such roles

by building their capacity for legislation, preparing national budgets and exercising

parliamentary oversight. The IPU also supported parliaments in efforts to tackle violent

extremism and terrorism and to act on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.

OBJECTIVE 4

Contribute to peacebuilding,

conflict prevention and security

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Promoting cooperation and co-existence

Parliaments help to build peace and resolve conflict through dialogue and their

legislative, oversight and representative functions. The IPU has a special role to

play in countries at risk of conflict and, during the period in question, supported

parliaments in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar

and Mali, recommending solutions to help end the countries’ political crises.

Parliamentary diplomacy can help protect international peace too, building bridges

where governmental initiatives have failed. On this basis, the IPU facilitated talks

between North and South Korea, and between the two communities of Cyprus. It

also supported parliamentary discussions in the Middle East, unlocking concrete

measures to tackle the water crisis and to prevent further regional instability.

Our impact 2017-2021

Innovation, science and technology for peace

The 2017 Middle East parliamentary roundtable on water showed how

science-based solutions could transform disagreement and conflict into

opportunities for cooperation and co-existence. It paved the way for the

launch of the IPU Science for Peace Schools and the establishment of a

Working Group on Science and Technology. Partnerships with CERN and the

Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) reinforced the IPU as a

platform for parliamentary cooperation on science and technology.

1,000

Over

1000 stakeholders

learnt about good practices in

the disarmament sector through

the 2020 guide

Assuring our

Common Future.

Countering terror and pursuing disarmament

Peace and security are fundamental pre-conditions for development. For more than

20 years, the IPU has supported parliaments in tackling global terrorism and devel-

oping parliamentary strategies for comprehensive disarmament, non-proliferation

and arms control.

Following its resolution on

Terrorism: The need to enhance global cooperation

against the threat to democracy and human rights,

the IPU established a formal

body, the High-Level Advisory Group on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism

(HLAG). The HLAG serves as the global focal point for parliamentary work on count-

er-terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism, promoting cooperation and

information exchanges. It also facilitates dialogue between MPs and experts and

guides the Joint Programme on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, a

tripartite programme involving the IPU, the United Nations Office on Drugs and

Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).

The joint programme has organized counter-terrorism conferences for the African,

Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific regions and supported the establishment of a par-

liamentary committee to combat hate speech and extremism in Egypt.

In 2021, the joint programme also organized the First Global Parliamentary Summit

on Counter-Terrorism, which highlighted parliamentary efforts to support the vic-

tims of terrorism as well as to prevent terrorism, radicalization and hate speech.

The Summit saw the launch of the

Call of the Sahel

appeal for resources to fund

specific projects in the region aimed at preventing terrorism. The Summit also saw

the IPU unveil a suite of digital tools, including an interactive map and mobile ap-

plication, allowing parliamentarians to coordinate their counter-terrorism legislation

and strategies.

A porter carries a bag of rice in Wuse

Market, Abuja, Nigeria, August 2021.

Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northwestern

states have been caught in increasing

violence between nomadic herdsman

and farmers as climate change intensifies

rivalries over water and land. ©Kola

Sulaimon/AFP

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Model legislative provisions (MLPs) were an important initia-

tive of the joint programme, offering a basis against which to

review existing laws and procedures to protect the victims of

terrorism. The MLPs were developed in line with the latest

thinking to help countries without legislation on this issue.

They help with the sharing of best practices and draw atten-

tion to the urgent needs of terrorism victims.

On disarmament and non-proliferation, the IPU supported

parliaments and UN Member States to operationalize their

commitments. Working with partners, the IPU ran various

campaigns between 2017 and 2021 to raise parliamentary

awareness of the UN’s disarmament treaties.

These campaigns led several countries to sign or ratify both

the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the

Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The

IPU also mobilized MPs to engage with UN Security Council

Resolution 1540, preventing non-state actors from access-

ing weapons of mass destruction. Finally, the IPU helped to

eradicate illicit arms flows by encouraging parliaments to

sign or ratify the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

To support the UN Secretary-General’s new disarmament

agenda, the IPU helped produce a guide,

Assuring our

Common Future,

explaining disarmament and highlighting ex-

amples of successful treaties and policies. Subsequent webi-

nars showed the role that MPs can play and outlined the links

between disarmament and sustainable development, includ-

ing climate protection. Complementary digital products were

designed to highlight the link between parliaments, good

governance in the security sector and human development.

“Faced with pressure to decrease military defence

spending, governments acknowledge that threats like

the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be handled with military-

type responses and there is a clear imperative to shift

budget priorities to meet the new challenges”

Anusart Suwanmongkol

Senator from Thailand

(April 2021)

In January 2020, the IPU held the fifth meeting of the HLAG, in Geneva. The HLAG serves as the global focal point for parliamentary work

on counter-terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism. © IPU/Pieyre-Bernard Castelier

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Case study

Disarmament to advance sustaining peace;

implementing the human security approach

IPU activities on disarmament, non-proliferation and

arms control link to a broader prevention agenda, which

is based on the principle of humanity. The latest parlia-

mentary guide on disarmament,

Assuring our Common

Future,

opens doors to discussion of the need to reduce

military spending in favour of long-term investments in

health, education and social security.

Nadia Ghulam Dastgir, a victim of terrorism in Afghanistan who

spoke at the First Global Parliamentary Summit on Counter-Terrorism.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

PARLIA

TARY

As the global focal point for inter-parliamentary cooperation, the IPU provides a unique and

effective forum for political dialogue. It held Assemblies over the five-year strategic period

in Dhaka, St Petersburg, Geneva, Doha, Belgrade and Madrid. Digital technology enabled

the IPU to continue its work during the pandemic. The IPU was also able to continue

progress towards universal membership, engaging with non-Member Parliaments, many

of them Small Island Developing States.

The Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, which included a virtual segment

in 2020 followed by the in-person event in Vienna in 2021, was the first global summit to

be held during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE 5

Promote inter-parliamentary

dialogue and cooperation

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Our impact between 2017-2021

More follow-up from IPU Members

In 2017 we introduced a new reporting system, to help enhance the im-

plementation of IPU decisions. Since its introduction, the response rate by

Members has increased from an average 40 per cent in 2017 to almost 70

per cent in 2021.

Moving IPU Assemblies online, adopting hybrid formats

IPU Assemblies are central to the IPU’s role of promoting peace through dialogue.

The Assemblies allow parliamentarians from around the world to come together

to find solutions to the challenges of our time. They conclude with substantive

outcomes for peace, democracy and sustainable development.

In the five-year period, 2017-2021, the IPU mobilized thousands of legislators

through its Assemblies, whether in-person or online.

In 2020-2021, the IPU moved its work online to continue supporting inter-

parliamentary dialogue during the pandemic. In August 2020, for example, the first

part of the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament connected more than

115 of the world’s most senior legislators online. They were joined by hundreds of

other members of parliament, experts and representatives from multilateral orga-

nizations to discuss the overall theme of parliamentary leadership that delivers for

the people and the planet.

Then, in November 2020, an extraordinary session of the IPU’s Governing Council

was held online, during which a new IPU President was elected. Despite the chal-

lenges of technology and multiple time zones, the election was certified as trans-

parent and inclusive. Some 458 MPs from 145 countries took part in the remote

voting, and several other important decisions were taken regarding the functioning

and governance of the IPU in a notable example of digital democracy.

The first Assembly of 2021 was completely digital, with 42 meetings held over a six-

week period. In November 2021, the Spanish Parliament was able to host the first

in-person IPU Assembly in over two years, in Madrid. The previous 18 months had

provided some important lessons however, including the benefits of live-streaming

the Assembly, equipping meeting rooms for hybrid sessions and holding multiple

hearings remotely.

The second part of the Fifth World

“The IPU has demonstrated an impressive capacity to overcome technical

Conference of Speakers of Parliament

and logistical challenges while facilitating virtual and hybrid meetings

was held in person in Vienna in

over the past year and a half. The Canadian Group is grateful for the

September 2021. Rigorous health

Secretariat’s efforts to ensure that all Member Parliaments can continue to

measures, including regular testing,

contribute to and benefit from the important work of the IPU.”

social distancing and mask-wearing,

protected over 700 participants, in-

David McGuinty

cluding some 90 Speakers and 40 Deputy Speakers. Remote interpretation in 12

MP, Canada

languages, as well as live-streaming, gave the meeting a hybrid character.

The IPU’s success with modern technology has enabled its Members to continue

their conversations and reinforced the IPU’s resilience and ability to adapt. Based

on this, the IPU expects future meetings to continue being hybrid, keeping the

inter-parliamentary discussions as broad and inclusive as possible.

Delegates at the entrance to the 143

IPU

Assembly. © IPU/Spanish Parliament

92%

of the world’s

national parliaments

are IPU Members.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Group photo (photo montage due to social distancing) of participants in the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments, held in

Vienna in 2021. © IPU/Thomas Jantzen

Facilitating dialogue

The last five years have seen a significant increase in

the number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of IPU

Assemblies, increasing from 160 to 220 in the pre-pandemic

period. These meetings tend to be more informal and open

than official government meetings and they allow parliamen-

tarians to talk freely with their counterparts from around the

world, mindful of the interests of the people they represent.

Bilateral meetings help to build bridges of trust, understand-

ing and mutual respect.

Advancing towards universal membership

The IPU moved closer to its strategic goal of universal

membership during the period, as the number of Member

Parliaments grew from 171 to 178. Changes to the IPU

Statutes and Rules in 2018 also mean that a Parliament can

keep its membership but loses some of its rights if it is more

than three years in arrears of its contributions. A Member

Parliament will, however, lose its membership in the event

Bilaterals at IPU Assemblies

250

200

150

100

Apr

2017

Oct

2017

Mar

2018

Oct

2018

Apr

2019

Oct

2019

Apr

2020

Oct

2020

Duarte Pacheco, IPU President, ready to take the floor during the

virtual 142

IPU Assembly in May 2021. © IPU/Tito Calado

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

of its unconstitutional dissolution, as was the case for Sudan

following the April 2019 military coup.

The IPU has also endeavoured to reach out to non-Member

Parliaments by inviting them to events organized in their re-

gions as well as paying for attendance of some of their MPs

at IPU events through its Parliamentary Solidarity Fund.

• In 2019, Switzerland participated in international discus-

sions on universal health coverage, focusing on patient

safety, quality of health services, sustainable financing

of care and the importance of universal health coverage

in emergencies.

• Following an IPU resolution on women’s political participa-

tion, a Presidential Resolution in the UAE raised women’s

representation in the Federal National Council (FNC) to a

minimum of 50 per cent.

• Thailand introduced a parliamentary Code of Ethics, pro-

hibiting all forms of sexual harassment against women

in parliament.

• In October 2017, Ecuador’s National Assembly approved

a resolution on attainment of the UN’s Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs). The resolution followed the

IPU’s 2015 Hanoi Declaration, which explored the role of

parliaments in achieving the SDGs.

• The UK Parliament systematically writes to the Foreign

Secretary, highlighting decisions by the IPU Committee

on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and other IPU

matters.

• In 2019, following an IPU resolution on the same issue,

South Africa’s ministry of health introduced the National

Health Insurance Bill to parliament, which seeks universal

health coverage by 2030.

Participants in the virtual extraordinary IPU Governing Council

session in November 2020. © IPU

Encouraging accountability from Members

The IPU’s impact depends on the extent to which Member

Parliaments follow up on the decisions they take at our meet-

ings, especially the Assemblies.

Examples of notable follow-up actions include the following:

• The National Assembly of Zambia has established reg-

ular seminars to discuss IPU resolutions and possible

implementation.

• When Cyclone Idai hit Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe

in April 2019, an IPU resolution called for urgent support.

The delegation of the Netherlands relayed the resolution

to their government, which then provided substantial fi-

nancial support and technical experts.

• In 2018, the Colombian Parliament launched the “Congreso

en Igualdad” initiative to implement the IPU’s 2012 Plan of

Action for Gender-sensitive Parliaments.

• Egypt’s parliament amended a law on the protection of

antiquities, bringing it into line with an IPU resolution. It

has also adopted new legislation to combat illegal migra-

tion and trafficking.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

YOUTH

OBJECTIVE 6

Youth empowerment

Youth participation is key to democracy and inclusive, efficient political processes. Young

women and men are central to social challenges such as poverty, discrimination and climate

change. And their participation in politics promotes active citizenship and strengthens

social responsibility. It offers innovation, creativity and new thinking.

In the five-year strategic period, the IPU developed new youth targets for parliaments,

which have become an important benchmark for parliaments around the world. We

also worked to get more young people into decision-making processes and to occupy

parliamentary seats. However, as we showed in our flagship report on youth participation

in national parliaments in 2021, the number of MPs under the age of 30 remains low, at just

2.6 per cent of MPs, nudging up from 2.2 per cent in 2018. In 2021, therefore, we launched

a global campaign –

I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament

– in which hundreds of MPs, leaders

and advocates pledged to rejuvenate their parliaments.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Our impact between 2017-2021

Youth targets for parliaments

After months of consultation, we selected a target for youth representation

in parliament based on the proportion of young people in the population.

Subsequently adopted as a goal by multiple parliaments and other

international stakeholders, the objective is for parliaments to achieve the

following minimum proportions by 2035:

• 15 per cent of MPs under 30 years of age;

• 35 per cent of MPs under 40; and

• 45 per cent of MPs under 45.

Each target includes a gender parity provision of 50 per cent men and

50 per cent women. The targets are central to the

I Say Yes to Youth in

Parliament!

campaign.

Innovating for youth year after year

In 2017 we produced a paper on the role of young MPs in peace and security and

organized regional conferences for young legislators in Asia and Africa. The same

year, we adopted new internal measures to enhance youth participation at the IPU.

The next year, 2018, we published our flagship report on youth participation in na-

tional parliaments, showing that just 2.2 per cent of the world’s MPs were under

30. This is far short of our 15 per cent target, one of the first ever global targets on

young MPs in parliament.

In 2019, we organized our first workshops for young MPs, engaging 100 young

legislators to enhance their communication, leadership and mentorship skills. We

also helped to organize the year’s “Future Policy Awards” on youth empowerment,

in partnership with the World Future Council, United Nations and others.

A year later, in 2020, we marked the 10

anniversary of the IPU resolution on youth

participation. A survey highlighted good practices to enhance youth participation,

which we shared more widely. Then, to mark the 25

anniversary of the Beijing

Declaration and Platform for Action, we provided a plan of action to get more young

women participating in politics.

Last year, in 2021, we focused on the impact of COVID-19 on youth, working with

young MPs to map out the key elements of a youth responsive recovery.

The

I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament!

includes six pledges for parliamentarians, as

shown below.

1,112

Some

1,112 Young MPs

(of whom 30% per cent were

women) came together to support

youth empowerment at the

IPU’s unique Forum

of Young MPs.

Boys and girls scouts wave Pakistani

national flags while gathering in front of

the parliament building to mark the World

Environment day rally in Islamabad on

June 2021. © Farooq Naeem/AFP

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Promotion stand during the 143

IPU Assembly in Madrid. © IPU/Spanish Parliament

Advancing youth participation

In the past ten years, from youth quotas to lowering the age

of eligibility and creating new parliamentary structures for

youth, parliaments have made significant progress.

• Parliaments have lowered their voting ages for parliamenta-

ry elections to 16 in Malta and 18 in the Gambia, Malaysia

and Turkey.

• Micronesia’s Congress supported the participation of their

youth in national delegations at international meetings.

It has also prioritized and increased employment among

youth, who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

• In El Salvador, the parliament established its first

Parliamentary Youth Group, consisting of MPs between 25

and 35 years of age.

• In Norway, the Speaker of Parliament regularly meets with

youth and, in partnership with non-profit organizations, pro-

duced a guide for youth to participate in social debates.

• In Mexico, the Chamber of Deputies introduced measures

to enhance youth representation in parliament. It has estab-

lished a committee on youth and holds regular parliamenta-

ry hearings and youth consultations.

• In Nigeria, in 2018, with IPU support, the National Assembly

lowered the minimum age of candidates running for the

House of Representatives. The impact on elections the

next year was impressive: more than 34 per cent of can-

didates were young men or women, up from 21 per cent

in 2015. The number of elected officials under 35 rose to

103 from 60 in 2015.

Using data to advocate for change

We published data and analysis on youth participation in our

2018 and 2021 flagship reports. We made data available on

young MPs through the IPU’s Parline, an open-source data

platform for parliaments. IPU data is also used as an official

data source for SDG indicator 16.7.1 to “ensure responsive,

inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making”

Pushing for more young women in politics

Over the past five years, despite the COVID-19 pandem-

ic, we brought together a total of 1,112 young legislators,

including through our annual Global Conference of Young

Parliamentarians.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

In 2020, we met online, calling for greater political participa-

tion and leadership from young women. At a celebration of

the 25

anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform

for Action, we teamed up with the Office of the UN Secretary-

General’s Envoy on Youth to connect serving politicians with

young women. Recommendations from the meeting includ-

ed more funds for young women to engage in politics, the

recruitment of more young women into public service leader-

ship, and the establishment of quotas. It also recommended

that parliaments and political parties be gender-sensitive and

free of violence, sexual harassment and bullying.

munications skills and helped them to incorporate a youth

perspective into their parliamentary work.

“Although we face many obstacles to be elected to

parliament, we also face them once we are elected. As

young MPs, we need to be empowered to lead change.”

Outcome Document from the Sixth Global Conference

of Young Parliamentarians (Paraguay, 2019)

Opening a new area of support to young MPs

In 2019, we launched a series of courses for young par-

liamentarians to hone their political skills, working with a

first group of 100 young MPs from 40 countries. The train-

ing courses focused on political leadership and communi-

cations through group work and one-to-one sessions. A

mentorship café allowed young and more senior MPs to

swap experiences and advice. MPs said the courses left

them feeling empowered and equipped to be more effec-

tive leaders.

In Djibouti, we worked with young parliamentarians elect-

ed to office in the 2018 elections. Some 70 percent of

the National Assembly’s young MPs attended a two-day

workshop in 2020. We developed their leadership and com-

Case study

The IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians

The Forum of Young Parliamentarians is the driving force

behind the IPU’s work on youth issues. A youth-led stat-

utory body dedicated to enhancing the role of young

people in the IPU and parliaments more generally, it en-

riches the Organization’s work with a youth perspective.

In 2018, in order to ensure that more young people at-

tend IPU Assemblies, the Forum won the membership’s

support for new incentives for parliaments to include

young MPs in their delegations. The IPU is now aiming

for a minimum of 25 per cent young MPs at future IPU

Assemblies. The IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians is

sending a clear signal that the IPU is “walking the talk”

on politics for young people.

Progression of number of young MPs towards the respective targets set by the IPU

2.6%

17.5%

30.2

IPU target:

15% of MPs

under 30

35% of MPs

under 40

45% of MPs

under 45

Each target also calls for

50-50 gender parity

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

GLO

DEVELOP

The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 was a pivotal

moment for international development. It provided an excellent opportunity for the

IPU to leverage political will to achieve broad development objectives, working with

parliaments to catalyse change at the national, regional and global levels. Throughout the

strategic period, IPU support has emphasized the needs of vulnerable and marginalized

populations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which, combined with climate

change, has accelerated the need for action.

ENT

OBJECTIVE 7

Mobilize parliaments around the

global development agenda

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Our impact between 2017-2021

Following IPU advice and support, the Parliament of Rwanda amended its

legislation in 2020 to enable civil registration at health facilities, where more

than 90 per cent of children are born. The amendment unlocks access to

legal identity for many and thus to vital healthcare and other services. When

the collaboration began, more than 40 per cent of children under five were

not registered. Rwanda’s Parliament and the IPU have had a long-standing

collaboration, building parliamentary capacity and shaping the country’s leg-

islative agenda on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health. To reach birth

registration targets in line with the SDGs, this progress must be sustained.

Empowering parliaments to make a difference

For five years, the IPU has been supporting parliaments to have the necessary

skills, resources and tools for meaningful action on the SDGs, especially on climate

change and health.

As more and more parliaments have engaged with the SDGs, the IPU has provided

more support. Between 2016 and 2020, for example, the number of parliaments

reviewing national progress on the SDGs grew from less than 25 per cent to more

than 55 per cent. This number dipped slightly in 2021, but the overall trend is clear.

Ten parliaments have used the IPU’s self-assessment toolkit to develop their own SDG

action plans and integrate the goals into their parliamentary work. The Parliament of

Chad set up a Special Committee on Sustainable Development, while Fiji’s Parliament

developed an SDG guidance note for its committees. Serbia’s National Assembly

did a second self-assessment to evaluate its progress, two years after its first. This

helped its Parliamentary SDG Focus Group to amend the budget bill and sharpen

the budgetary focus on the SDGs. In a 2018 IPU global survey, more than 50 per

cent of parliamentary respondents said they had set up at least one parliamentary

mechanism on the SDGs.

Health has been a major priority. Collaboration with parliaments in Bangladesh,

Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia led to legislative amendments and proposals

on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and on combatting child marriage.

Publications, facilitating this work, included new research on child marriage legislation

in the Asia-Pacific region, guidelines on SDG budgeting, a roadmap for parliamentary

action on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health, and a handbook on food and

nutrition systems.

resolutions

IPU Assemblies on

sustainable development

in the past five years

Steady growth in number of parliaments reviewing

national progress on the SDGs

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Coloso (Colombia), a town that almost

disappeared due to war between guerrillas

and paramilitaries, and today is betting

on eco-tourism as a form of sustainable

development. © Juancho Torres/Anadolu

Agency via AFP

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Uganda’s parliament has been proactive on maternal health,

recognizing the need for further dialogue on sexual and re-

productive health, including abortion. Tanzania’s parliament

has increased funding for maternal health and immunization.

Later, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, the IPU trained

more than 100 parliamentary staff in 12 sub-Saharan coun-

tries on how legislation can better meet the needs of

women, children and adolescents. Botswana’s parliament

subsequently reviewed its legislation on adolescent sexu-

al and reproductive health. Recognizing the links between

COVID-19 and gender-based violence, Botswana’s parliament

is also developing new legislation on this topic. In 2020, it

passed the Sexual Offenders Registry Bill.

Climate change remained a concern for many parliaments.

The IPU gave tailored support on climate change and on

green recoveries from COVID-19 to parliaments in Burundi,

Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as in Central

Asia. In Burundi, parliamentarians agreed to raise public

awareness on climate change and biodiversity. In 2019,

Zimbabwe’s parliament amended its carbon tax policy. In

2021, the IPU and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) sup-

ported the Zimbabwean parliament in developing a bill on

climate change.

Underpinning its work on climate change, the IPU has de-

veloped a range of knowledge products, including toolkits,

with partners such as UNEP and the United Nations Office

for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Available in up to five

languages, the publications respond to interests frequently

cited by parliaments.

The IPU facilitates parliamentary

engagement

Partnerships have been central to the IPU’s work, helping to

ensure that legislation is based on the best available scientific

evidence. To connect scientific and parliamentary communi-

ties, for example, the IPU has partnered with the Partnership

for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), the UN

Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN

Economic Commissions, the World Health Organization

(WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), UNICEF

and the London School of Economics (LSE). Throughout the

global pandemic, these partners delivered timely informa-

tion, helping parliaments to respond appropriately.

In France, Paraguay and South Africa, the IPU and PMNCH

helped parliaments to consider women’s, children’s and ad-

olescents’ health in their plans for recovery from COVID-19.

The PMNCH has said that the IPU played a key role in its

work in 20 countries.

Some 41 national parliaments received help from the IPU

to connect with the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement,

unlocking national dialogue and discussions on investments

in nutrition.

In total over the past five years, the IPU has organized 28 re-

gional and 23 global events on development issues, enabling

thousands of parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to en-

gage with UN processes. These processes have facilitated

peer-to-peer discussions, knowledge acquisition and other

opportunities for cooperation. The events have stimulated

IPU Advisory Group on Health field visit in Rwanda, held in January 2018. © IPU/Lucien Gatete

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

widescale political will for dialogue and the use of sustainable

development as a platform for international collaboration.

IPU Assemblies adopted some 11 resolutions on sustainable

development. One of these, a 2019 resolution on universal

health coverage, led to follow-up action in 70 parliaments

either through awareness-raising workshops or outreach

activities.

“Even when the global economy shut down as a

result of the pandemic, our emissions only dropped

by 6 per cent. This illustrates the enormity of the

challenge ahead of us. We have to find real, radical and

alternative solutions to reduce global temperatures.

As parliamentarians we have a real responsibility. We

have a duty to speak for all the people of this planet,

including those whose voices are not always heard, and

yet are the most affected.

”

Lord Speaker of the UK House of Lords

Rt. Hon. the Lord McFall of Alcluith at

the Parliamentary Meeting at COP26

Case study

An IPU-UNDP toolkit on the SDGs became the IPU’s

most translated publication. First published in English,

Spanish, French and Arabic, the 2016 publication –

Parliaments and the Sustainable Development Goals: A

self-assessment toolkit

– is now available in a total of 15

languages. The translations show how the toolkits add

value, helping parliaments to engage with the SDGs.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

INTERN

Parliaments can play a critical role in facilitating the implementation of their countries’

international commitments and translating these into national realities. In the past five

years, the IPU has helped to connect parliaments and parliamentarians with some of the

world’s most important issues. We also brought a parliamentary perspective to global

talks at the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the G20, helping to

bridge the democracy gap in international relations.

TIO

OBJECTIVE 8

Bridge the democracy gap

in international relations

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Our impact between 2017-2021

UN recognizes the importance of youth representation in parliament

In 2021, the IPU provided substantive input to a UN General Assembly

resolution on Policies and Programmes Involving Youth. Through the reso-

lution, the General Assembly recognized that “49 per cent of the world’s

population is under 30 and only 2.6 per cent of members of parliament

belong to this age group” and encouraged “the increase of youth repre-

sentation in national and local legislatures”

Engaging with the United Nations

The IPU deepened its engagement with the UN, which also recognizes the shared

interests and mutual benefits of deeper cooperation.

A range of IPU activities brought a parliamentary perspective to UN debates. The

annual UN-IPU Parliamentary Hearings, for example, saw on average over 200 par-

liamentarians from some 60 countries attend two-day sessions on major UN de-

cision-making processes. The most recent Hearing, held in 2021 in virtual format,

contributed to the UN General Assembly Special Session on Corruption, including

a Political Declaration which recognized the role and responsibility of parliaments in

tackling corruption.

Parliamentary meetings held in the context of other major UN processes – such as

the Commission on the Status of Women, the Human Rights Council and the annual

Conference of States Parties on Climate Change – further enhanced the parliamen-

tary dimension of the work of the UN.

COVID-19 threatened to delay or even reverse progress on the UN’s Sustainable

Development Goals, highlighting their importance. For the past five years, the IPU

has been expanding its support for the Goals through the UN’s main platform for

sustainable development, the annual High-level Political Forum (HLPF). To this end,

it monitors parliamentary engagement with Voluntary National Reviews and partici-

pation in national delegations to the HLPF

The IPU also organizes a Parliamentary Forum, at which more than 200 parliamentar-

ians discuss the main themes of the HLPF session. In 2021, a UN General Assembly

resolution on the HLPF recognized the essential role of parliaments in implementing

and reviewing legislation, as well as the adaptation of budgets and accountability.

As the UN celebrated its 75

anniversary in 2021, the UN Secretary-General issued

Our Common Agenda – his vision for more effective multilateralism, in which he

invited reflection on ways to engage parliaments more with the UN and voiced his

commitment to explore options for enhanced parliamentary input at the UN.

As the IPU and the UN General Assembly deepened their relationship, Member

States strongly endorsed resolutions in 2018 and 2020 on Interaction between the

UN, national parliaments and the IPU. The UN General Assembly resolutions estab-

lished a new International Day of Parliamentarism, celebrated on the foundation

date of the IPU, and recognized the IPU’s work on democracy and the rule of law,

human rights, gender equality, and youth empowerment. They also recognized that

UN country teams need to work more effectively with national parliaments.

UN Member States sponsored

the 2020 UN General Assembly

Resolution on Interaction

between the UN, national

parliaments and the IPU.

Parliamentary Hearing entitled “ World of

Blue: Preserving the Oceans, Safeguarding

the Planet, Ensuring Human Well-being in

the Context of the 2030 Agenda” held in

February 2017 in New York. © UN Photo/

Rick Bajornas

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

IPU President, Duarte Pacheco, addresses the parliamentary hearing in 2022 organized with the President of the General Assembly, Abdulla

Shahid. © Joel Sheakoski

Expanding institutionalized engagement with

the UN

With support from the Austrian Parliament, in 2021 we

opened a new Office of the Permanent Observer to the

United Nations and other International Organizations in

Vienna. The enhanced presence in Vienna has strengthened

IPU cooperation with the UN, particularly with the UN Office

on Drugs and Crime as well as other Vienna-based organiza-

tions such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and

the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. The

new Office is helping the IPU to engage even deeper with

multilateralism, particularly on issues of good governance and

parliamentary diplomacy.

“The IPU Standing Committee on UN Affairs provides

a unique space for MPs to discuss global issues with

top UN officials and ask some tough questions. It

empowers MPs to hold governments to account for

the commitments they make at the UN”

Senator Juan Carlos Romero of Argentina

Former President of the Committee

The IPU Standing Committee on United Nations Affairs, which

meets regularly in the context of IPU Assemblies, continues

to give parliamentarians the opportunity to examine UN op-

erations and formulate recommendations for improvement.

In the past five years, Committee members have engaged

with senior UN officials on migration, trade and development,

human rights, environment, access to vaccines, the future of

multilateralism, tax treaties, financing the UN, and more. The

discussions have been complemented by field visits to UN

operations, which allowed MPs to develop a better under-

standing of the issues and realities on the ground.

During the pandemic, the IPU initiated a series of virtual

briefings on topical issues at the UN, including reform of the

UN Security Council, sovereign debt restructuring, support

for least developed countries and curbing military budgets.

By connecting experts, ambassadors and parliamentarians,

the sessions built understanding and enriched discussions

at national level.

To encourage engagement between the UN and the IPU,

their leaders – including heads of UN agencies, funds and

programmes – have met regularly in Geneva, New York and

Vienna. Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly

President continues to include the IPU’s Permanent Observer

in his Gender Advisory Board, aiming to increase gender

equality at all levels of the UN.

Supporting parliaments to engage with the

WTO

The Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization

(PCWTO), a joint IPU and European Parliament initiative, en-

sures that parliamentarians stay abreast of WTO negotiations.

It allows MPs to exchange their views and experiences in

global conversations on the rules-based trading system. In

the past five years, PCWTO discussions have focused on

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

the commodities trade, agriculture, e-commerce, small- and

medium-sized enterprises, gender, fishing subsidies, climate

change, the pandemic’s impact on trade, and more.

Over 600 parliamentarians have attended PCWTO sessions,

engaging directly with WTO officials and negotiators. This

has enabled them to bring a parliamentary perspective to the

WTO and exercise better oversight of its multilateral trade

negotiations.

IPU efforts helped ratification of the WTO’s Trade Facilitation

Agreement (TFA), which entered into force in 2017 The TFA

is already improving trade efficiency worldwide, cutting red

tape at borders and increasing transparency. The IPU also

nudged parliaments to support negotiations for the WTO’s

Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development. In

November 2021, eight WTO members announced their deci-

sion to join negotiations, which are expected to conclude by

the end of 2022.

An important outcome of the PCWTO has also been a greater

parliamentary contribution to implementing domestic legis-

lation to comply with WTO agreements, as well as to their

countries’ regular Trade Policy Reviews.

Case study

Bringing a parliamentary voice to the G20

Since 2018, the IPU has been supporting G20

parliaments to engage with this influential global body.

At meetings in Buenos Aires, Tokyo and Rome, the IPU

partnered with the parliaments of the G20 Presidencies

in organizing P20 Speakers’ Summits to discuss

inclusive growth, fair multilateral trading, sustainable

peace, democracy, prosperity and well-being. The

G20 Speakers, joined by over 150 other officials –

parliamentarians, experts, trade ministers and G20

national emissaries (Sherpas) – have also examined

the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,

migration, decent work, gender and rebuilding trust in

democratic institutions. The Joint Declarations issued

by the G20 Speakers were shared with their respective

Heads of State and Government and with the broader

parliamentary community.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Towards universal membership

Members (178)

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina,

Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh,

Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia (Plurinational State of),

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina

Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,

Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,

Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba,

Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of

Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti,

Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial

Guinea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon,

Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea,

Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras*, Hungary, Iceland,

India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Israel,

Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan,

Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho,

Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar,

Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,

Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States

of), Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique,

Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand,

Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman,

Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea*,

Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic

of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation,

Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,

San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,

Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,

Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname,

Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand,

Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,

Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates,

United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay,

Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet

Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Association of Secretaries

General of Parliaments

The Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP)

brings together Secretaries General and other senior office

holders in charge of parliamentary services. It studies the

law, procedure, practice and working methods of different

parliaments and proposes measures for improvement and for

securing cooperation between the services of different par-

liaments. It is a consultative body of the IPU, and the ASGP

President reports annually to the IPU Executive Committee

on the ASGP’s activities. The ASGP assists the IPU on sub-

jects within the scope of the Association. Studies carried out

by the IPU relating to parliamentary law and practices are

routinely shared with the ASGP and benefit from its input.

The ASGP collaborated closely with the IPU, including by regu-

larly organizing joint IPU-ASGP sessions at the IPU Assembly.

To give just three examples of areas of mutual cooperation:

Secretaries General are closely involved in the Centre for

Innovation in Parliament. At each Assembly, the ASGP helps

to organize meetings of the parliamentary hubs within the

Centre, as well as coordination meetings with the Secretaries

General of parliaments that are hosting hubs. The ASGP is

formally an observer to the Steering Committee that provides

strategic advice to the Centre about ways to support innova-

tion in parliament.

Secretaries General also contribute to the enhanced use

and application of the Ten Common Principles for Support

to Parliaments. Members of the ASGP regularly provide

substantial support to many of the parliamentary capaci-

ty-building projects carried out by the IPU, and contribute to

the IPU’s research into policy measures to combat violence

against women in parliament.

Secretaries General are active participants in the elaboration

of the Global Parliamentary Report. Their discussions about

the main challenges facing parliament at the current time

has influenced the choice of the themes of the Report (par-

liamentary oversight in 2017 public engagement in 2022).

Secretaries Generals have also mobilized their parliaments to

share good practices during the research phase and to give

consideration to the Report’s recommendations.

Associate Members (14)

Andean Parliament,

Arab Parliament,

Central American

Parliament (PARLACEN), East African Legislative Assembly

(EALA), European Parliament (EP), Interparliamentary Assembly

of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent

States (IPA CIS), Inter-Parliamentary Committee of the West

African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Latin

American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO),

Pan-African

Parliament,

Parliament of the Central African Economic and

Monetary Community (CEMAC), Parliament of the Economic

Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Parliamentary

Assembly of La Francophonie (APF), Parliamentary Assembly

of the Council of Europe (PACE),

and

Parliamentary Assembly

of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC).

* The membership rights of Honduras and Papua New Guinea are now

suspended due to arrears of three or more years of contributions (non-

participating Members).

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

IPU Executive Committee

Mr. D. Pacheco

(PORTUGAL)

Ex-Officio President

End of mandate: Nov 2023

Ms. A.D. Mergane Kanouté

(SENEGAL)

Vice President, IPU and Africa Group

End of mandate: Apr 2023

Mr. G. Chen

(CHINA)

IPU Vice-President, Asia-Pacific Group

End of mandate: Oct 2022

Ms. C. Widegren

(SWEDEN)

IPU Vice President, 12+ Group

End of mandate: Oct 2023

Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi

(UAE)

IPU Vice-President, Arab Group

End of mandate: Apr 2025

Ms. B. Argimón

(URUGUAY)

IPU Vice-President, Grulac

End of mandate: Oct 2024

Mr. A. Saidov

(UZBEKISTAN)

IPU Vice-President, Eurasia Group

End of mandate: Oct 2023

Mr. A. Kharchi

(ALGERIA)

Member

End of mandate: Oct 2025

Mr. J.P Letelier

(CHILE)

Member

End of mandate: Oct 2023

Ms. O. Kefalogianni

(GREECE)

Member

End of mandate: Oct 2025

Mr. R. Rabbani

(PAKISTAN)

Member

End of mandate: Oct 2023

Mr. M. Grujic

(SERBIA)

Member

End of mandate: Oct 2022

Mr. J. Echániz

(SPAIN)

Member

End of mandate: Oct 2025

Ms. P Krairiksh

(THAILAND)

Member

End of mandate: Oct 2023

Ms. E. Anyakun

(UGANDA)

Member

End of mandate: Oct 2023

Mr. J. F. N. Mudenda

(ZIMBABWE)

Member

End of mandate: Oct 2023

Ms. S. Albazar

(EGYPT)

Ex Officio Member (Bureau of Young MPs)

End of mandate: Apr 2023

Ms. L. Vasylenko

(UKRAINE)

Ex Officio Member (Bureau of Women MPs)

End of mandate: Apr 2023

How the IPU is funded

The IPU’s work to promote peace, democracy and sustain-

able development is financed primarily by our Members and

Associate Members. We also receive a growing amount of

voluntary contributions from governments, development

agencies, UN bodies and foundations. Several donors have

concluded multi-year funding agreements that were ac-

tive during 2021. These include the Swedish International

Development Cooperation Agency, the European Union,

DFATD Canada, Irish Aid, and the parliaments of Angola,

China, Micronesia, Qatar, Switzerland and the United Arab

Emirates, as well as the Arab Parliament. Partnerships with

the UN family, particularly UNDP WHO, UNOHRLLS, UNODA

and UN Women, deliver support to a number of country-level

programmes. The Republic of Korea continued to offer sup-

port in terms of secondment of senior research staff to the

IPU. The IPU remains committed to looking for more volun-

tary funding to help meet its strategic objectives.

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Budgets 2017-2021

Estimates, by Strategic Objective, by source of funds (CHF)

2016 Approved

budget

Revenues

Assessed contributions

Working Capital Fund

Staff assessment

Interest

Programme support costs

Other revenue

Voluntary contributions

Total revenues

EXPENDITURES

Strategic Objectives

1. Build strong, democratic parliaments

2. Advance gender equality and respect for

women’s rights

3. Protect and promote human rights

4. Contribute to peacebuilding, conflict prevention

and security

5. Promote inter-parliamentary dialogue and

cooperation

6. Promote youth empowerment

7 Mobilize parliaments around the global

development agenda

8. Bridge the democracy gap in international relations

Subtotal

Enablers

Effective internal governance and oversight

Visibility, advocacy and communications

Gender mainstreaming and a rights-based approach

Properly resourced and efficient Secretariat

Subtotal

Other charges

Eliminations

Total expenditures

838,700

967

,800

10,000

2,649,400

4,465,900

105,000

(316,400)

15,788,300

12,015,800

854,700

1,086,900

10,000

2,668,900

4,620,500

106,000

(312,800)

3,911,500

854,700

1,086,900

10,000

2,668,900

4,620,500

106,000

(312,800)

15,927,300

2,997

,700

1,591,300

1,454,500

94,000

3,201,400

303,200

1,054,400

837

,300

11,533,800

893,000

7,289,300

4,224,300

1,411,100

622,100

1,032,800

148,300

3,182,000

329,600

1,083,700

1,017

,600

933,800

505,600

354,000

2,428,700

1,555,900

1,538,400

502,300

3,182,000

329,600

1,083,700

893,000

11,513,600

10,016,000

356,100

1,018,500

110,000

16,000

4,271,700

15,788,300

12,015,800

10,227

,000

337

,000

1,023,000

100,000

312,800

16,000

4,224,300

3,911,500

(312,800)

10,227,000

337,000

1,023,000

100,000

16,000

4,224,300

15,927,300

2017 Approved budget

Regular Budget

Other Sources

All Funds

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Estimates, by Strategic Objective, by source of funds (CHF)

2017 Approved

budget

Revenues

Assessed contributions

Working Capital Fund

Staff assessment

Interest

Programme support costs

Other revenue

Voluntary contributions

Total revenues

EXPENDITURES

Strategic Objectives

1. Build strong, democratic parliaments

2. Advance gender equality and respect for

women’s rights

3. Protect and promote human rights

4. Contribute to peacebuilding, conflict prevention

and security

5. Promote inter-parliamentary dialogue and

cooperation

6. Promote youth empowerment

7 Mobilize parliaments around the global

development agenda

8. Bridge the democracy gap in international relations

Subtotal

Enablers

Effective internal governance and oversight

Visibility, advocacy and communications

Gender mainstreaming and a rights-based approach

Properly resourced and efficient Secretariat

Subtotal

Other charges

Eliminations

Total expenditures

854,700

1,086,900

10,000

2,668,900

4,620,500

106,000

(312,800)

15,927,300

12,165,100

867

,900

1,026,200

10,000

2,681,700

4,585,800

114,000

(296,500)

3,706,100

867,900

1,026,200

10,000

2,681,700

4,585,800

114,000

(296,500)

15,871,200

2,428,700

1,555,900

1,538,400

502,300

3,182,000

329,600

1,083,700

893,000

11,513,600

1,430,600

532,200

1,039,000

151,200

3,159,400

79,700

150,200

923,000

7,465,300

4,002,600

337

,500

822,500

891,300

1,166,800

430,500

354,000

2,321,900

1,699,000

1,469,500

505,200

3,159,400

417,200

972,700

923,000

11,467,900

10,227

,000

337

,000

1,023,000

100,000

16,000

4,224,300

15,927,300

12,165,100

10,467

,100

237

,000

1,048,500

100,000

296,500

16,000

4,002,600

3,706,100

(296,500)

10,467,100

237,000

1,048,500

100,000

16,000

4,002,600

15,871,200

2018 Approved budget

Regular Budget

Other Sources

All Funds

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Estimates, by Strategic Objective, by source of funds (CHF)

2018 Approved

budget

Revenues

Assessed contributions

Working Capital Fund

Staff assessment

Interest

Programme support costs

Other revenue

Voluntary contributions

Total revenues

EXPENDITURES

Strategic Objectives

1. Build strong, democratic parliaments

2. Advance gender equality and respect for

women’s rights

3. Protect and promote human rights

4. Contribute to peacebuilding, conflict prevention

and security

5. Promote inter-parliamentary dialogue and

cooperation

6. Promote youth empowerment

7 Mobilize parliaments around the global

development agenda

8. Bridge the democracy gap in international relations

Subtotal

Enablers

Effective internal governance and oversight

Visibility, advocacy and communications

Gender mainstreaming and a rights-based approach

Properly resourced and efficient Secretariat

Subtotal

Other charges

Eliminations

Total expenditures

867

,900

1,026,200

10,000

2,681,700

4,585,800

114,000

(296,500)

15,871,200

12,451,600

912,700

1,097

,200

10,000

2,658,900

4,677,200

106,000

(298,700)

3,735,700

21,600

934,300

1,097,200

10,000

2,658,900

4,700,400

106,000

(298,700)

16,187,300

2,321,900

1,699,000

1,469,500

505,200

3,159,400

417,200

972,700

923,000

11,467,900

1,322,200

517

,900

1,035,600

195,500

3,437

,600

79,600

151,300

927

,100

7,666,800

4,012,800

265,100

851,400

824,200

656,400

508,500

907

,200

2,146,400

1,174,300

1,544,100

1,102,700

3,437,600

344,700

1,002,700

927,100

11,679,600

10,467

,100

237

,000

1,048,500

100,000

16,000

4,002,600

15,871,200

12,451,600

10,515,200

422,000

1,099,700

100,000

298,700

16,000

4,034,400

3,735,700

(298,700)

10,515,200

422,000

1,099,700

100,000

16,000

4,034,400

16,187,300

2019 Approved budget

Regular Budget

Other Sources

All Funds

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Estimates, by Strategic Objective, by source of funds (CHF)

2019 Approved

budget

Revenues

Assessed contributions

Working Capital Fund (IPSAS)

Working Capital Fund (liquid)

Staff assessment

Interest

Programme support costs

Other revenue

Voluntary contributions

Total revenues

EXPENDITURES

Strategic Objectives

1. Build strong, democratic parliaments

2. Advance gender equality and respect for

women’s rights

3. Protect and promote human rights

4. Contribute to peacebuilding, conflict prevention

and security

5. Promote inter-parliamentary dialogue and

cooperation

6. Promote youth empowerment

7 Mobilize parliaments around the global

development agenda

8. Bridge the democracy gap in international relations

Subtotal

Enablers

Effective internal governance and oversight

Visibility, advocacy and communications

Gender mainstreaming and a rights-based approach

Properly resourced and efficient Secretariat

Subtotal

Other charges

Eliminations

Total expenditures

934,300

1,097

,200

10,000

2,658,900

4,700,400

106,000

(298,700)

16,187,300

13,108,200

1,006,500

1,052,000

10,000

2,779,000

4,847,500

107

,600

(375,200)

4,689,800

21,600

1,028,100

1,052,000

10,000

2,779,000

4,869,100

107,600

(375,200)

17,798,000

2,146,400

1,174,300

1,544,100

1,102,700

3,437

,600

344,700

1,002,700

927

,100

11,679,600

1,350,100

516,100

1,042,600

198,700

3,849,700

84,500

156,100

955,300

8,153,100

5,043,400

267

,100

1,159,200

983,000

827

,900

559,800

1,246,400

2,333,100

1,344,000

1,602,400

1,445,100

3,849,700

351,600

1,315,300

955,300

13,196,500

10,515,200

232,000

190,000

1,099,700

100,000

16,000

4,034,400

16,187,300

13,108,200

10,959,200

230,000

222,000

1,205,800

100,000

375,200

16,000

5,065,000

4,689,800

(375,200)

10,959,200

230,000

222,000

1,205,800

100,000

16,000

5,065,000

17,798,000

2020 Approved budget

Regular Budget

Other Sources

All Funds

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

Estimates, by Strategic Objective, by source of funds (CHF)

2020 Approved

budget

Revenues

Assessed contributions

Working Capital Fund (IPSAS)

Working Capital Fund (liquid)

Staff assessment

Interest

Programme support costs

Other revenue

Voluntary contributions

Total revenues

EXPENDITURES

Strategic Objectives

1. Build strong, democratic parliaments

2. Advance gender equality and respect for

women’s rights

3. Protect and promote human rights

4. Contribute to peacebuilding, conflict prevention

and security

5. Promote inter-parliamentary dialogue and

cooperation

6. Promote youth empowerment

7 Mobilize parliaments around the global

development agenda

8. Bridge the democracy gap in international relations

Subtotal

Enablers

Effective internal governance and oversight

Visibility, advocacy and communications

Gender mainstreaming and a rights-based approach

Properly resourced and efficient Secretariat

Subtotal

Other charges

Eliminations

Total expenditures

1,028,100

1,052,000

10,000

2,779,000

4,869,100

107

,600

(375,200)

17,798,000

13,117,200

1,030,400

1,056,400

10,000

2,795,600

4,892,400

107

,600

(372,900)

4,664,300

21,600

1,052,000

1,056,400

10,000

2,795,600

4,914,000

107,600

(372,900)

17,781,500

2,333,100

1,344,000

1,602,400

1,445,100

3,849,700

351,600

1,315,300

955,300

13,196,500

1,419,800

525,500

1,034,900

199,300

3,733,900

85,600

194,700

923,500

8,117,200

5,015,600

387

,900

991,900

1,148,600

890,300

566,100

1,030,800

2,568,400

1,415,800

1,601,000

1,230,100

3,733,900

473,500

1,186,600

923,500

13,132,800

10,959,200

230,000

222,000

1,205,800

100,000

16,000

5,065,000

17,798,000

13,117,200

10,920,800

230,000

392,000

1,085,500

100,000

372,900

16,000

5,037

,200

4,664,300

(372,900)

10,920,800

230,000

392,000

1,085,500

100,000

16,000

5,037,200

17,781,500

2021 Approved budget

Regular Budget

Other Sources

All Funds

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

2021 publications

Issues Briefs

Sexism, harassment and violence against women in

parliaments in Africa

- A Winnable Battle: Parliamentarians and universal health

coverage

Handbook

Gender-responsive law-making

- Handbook for parliamentarians on nutrition and food

systems

- Good practices in nationality laws for the prevention

and reduction of statelessness

(now available in Arabic,

Armenian, Indonesian, Malay, Polish, Russian and Uzbek)

- A Guide to international refugee protection and building

state asylum systems

(now available in Uzbek)

- Handbook on Human Rights

(now available in Korean)

- Handbook on International Humanitarian Law

(now

available in Chinese and Serbian)

Toolkits

Disaster Risk Reduction to achieve the Sustainable

Development Goals

- Parliaments and the Sustainable Development Goals:

A self-assessment toolkit

(now available in Albanian)

Reports

13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament Report

- Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament

(5WCSP) Report

- Youth participation in national parliaments

- Women in Parliament in 2020

- World e-Parliament Report 2020

- Impact Report 2020

- Green approaches to COVID-19 recovery: Policy note for

parliamentarians

(now available in Spanish, Hungarian

and Russian)

Reference publications

Social Media Guidelines

- Comparative research paper on parliamentary

administration

(now available in Spanish)

Guidelines

Guidelines for parliamentarians on budgeting for the

SDGs: Making the most of public resources

- Guidelines for enhancing the engagement and contribution

of parliaments to effective development cooperation

- Guidelines for the elimination of sexism, harassment and

violence against women in parliament

(now available in

Turkish, Korean and Arabic)

Infographics

Violations of the human rights of MPs – 2021

- Youth in Parliament infographic

- Women in Politics: 2021

IPU collections

The IPU has seven collections primarily meant for

parliamentarians and policymakers. All IPU publications are

available

here.

Issues Briefs

are designed to raise awareness on a particular

issue. They give an overview of a particular theme with

statistics, tables, graphs, facts and figures.

Handbooks

are an in-depth look at a theme designed for

legislators involved in preparing laws and policies. They

contain best practice, examples from other countries,

definitions of key concepts, background information and

advice for implementation.

Toolkits

allow parliaments to self-evaluate what they have,

what’s missing and what action they need to take in a

particular area.

Reports

generally go into detail on a particular strategic

theme to report on progress or setbacks. They contain new

data and are published either annually or periodically.

Reference publications

are designed as guidelines to help

support parliamentary development.

Guidelines

are aimed to turn attention from analysis to

solutions. They support and better equip parliaments in efforts

to put their own houses in order.

Infographics

are usually in the form of maps to highlight

visually a particular theme.

For personal and non-commercial use, all or parts of this publication

may be reproduced on condition that copyright and source indications

are also copied and no modifications are made. Please inform the Inter-

Parliamentary Union on the usage of the publication content.

ISSN 2410-6755

Original version: English

Design and layout: Philippe Boisson, Graphisme

Printed in France by Courand et Associés

IPU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 14: Impact report 2021

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