The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will elect its ninth Secretary General at the 152nd IPU Assembly, which will be held in Istanbul, Türkiye. Five candidates have made it to the shortlist for this role. (L-R) Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, Anda Filip, Sangsoo Jun, Fatou Dieng Thiam, Cecilia Widegren.
Review the defining global parliamentary trends of 2025. From the UN’s 80th anniversary to historic leadership shifts in Europe and Asia.
Over 100 Speakers of Parliament from around 120 countries gathered at the United Nations Office at Geneva for the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, held from 29 to 31 July 2025. The high-level summit, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations, focused on building peace, justice, and prosperity through stronger multilateral cooperation.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretary General Martin Chungong have jointly called on national parliaments to ratify the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. This landmark agreement is the first WTO accord to focus on environmental sustainability.
Eemeli Peltonen, a 30-year-old Member of Parliament (MP) for the Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP), has died by suspected suicide inside Finland’s main Parliament House (Eduskuntatalo) in Helsinki.
Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections under new leadership between September 15 and 20, authorities confirmed on Sunday. This landmark decision comes just seven months after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, which brought an end to over 60 years of Baath Party rule.
In a landmark decision, Iran parliament has voted overwhelmingly to suspend all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The move follows 12 days of joint US-Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran’s key nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Out of 223 lawmakers, 221 voted in favor, with one abstention and one opposing vote.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition narrowly escaped collapse. A crucial vote in the Knesset to dissolve parliament failed by a 61-53 margin. The vote, triggered by the growing crisis over military conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jews, could have forced early elections.
King Charles III has arrived in Canada for a historic and symbolic two-day visit. This marks his first trip to the country since his coronation and his 20th visit overall. The highlight: delivering the Speech from the Throne on Tuesday to open the 45th session of Canada Parliament.
Japan’s parliament has begun official deliberations on public pension reform legislation, while also passing a controversial cyber defense bill aimed at strengthening the nation’s digital security posture.