The United Nations (UN’s) International Day of Parliamentarism (also known as World Parliament Day) is annually observed across the globe on 30 June to raise awareness about the vital role of parliaments in upholding democracy, accountability, human rights, and gender representation.
- The day serves as a platform to review how parliaments are progressing in meeting modern democratic standards like involving more women and youth, being more transparent, and using new technologies.
Theme:
The theme of the International Day of Parliamentarism 2025 is “Achieving Gender Equality, Action by Action“, highlights efforts to increase women’s participation in legislatures globally.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/72/278 on 22nd May 2018 and proclaimed 30th June as the International Day of Parliamentarism.
ii.The first-ever International Day of Parliamentarism was observed on 30 June 2018.
Why 30 June?
The day marks the anniversary of the founding of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the world’s first political multilateral organisation, established on 30th June 1889 in Paris, France.
- The year 2025 marks the 136th anniversary of the IPU.
History of IPU:
i.The two visionary parliamentarians Frédéric Passy from France and William Randal Cremer from the United Kingdom (UK) organized the first-ever inter-parliamentary conference on 30 June 1889 in Paris (France), bringing together lawmakers from nine countries includes:
- Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Liberia, Spain, the UK, and the United States of America(USA).
ii.The conference laid the groundwork for the establishment of the IPU, which later evolved into the global organization of national parliaments, promoting parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue.
iii.The IPU played a vital role in establishing the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands in 1899, and by supporting the creation of both the League of Nations (1919) and the UN (1945).
Note: In April 2025, the 150th IPU Assembly was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and also celebrated 40 years of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians, which was established in 1985 as the world’s first global platform for women lawmakers.
Global Parliamentary Forum 2025:
i.The Global Parliamentary Forum (GPF) 2025, the flagship parliamentary event of the World Bank Group (WBG), was co-organised in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the Meeting held in Washington, D.C. United States of America (USA) on 22-23 April 2025.
ii.The forum brought together around 130 participants, including nearly 100 lawmakers from 40 countries, alongside senior leadership from both the WBG and IMF.
Global Parliamentary Report:
i.The Global Parliamentary Report (GPR) is a joint initiative of the IPU and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that analyses key trends in parliamentary practice and offers actionable policy insights.
ii.Since its first edition in 2012, the GPR has addressed themes like representation, oversight, and public engagement to strengthen democratic governance.
Key Facts:
i.Every country around the world follows some form of representative governance, typically structured through parliamentary systems.
These systems are broadly categorized into two types: bicameral, which consist of two legislative chambers, and unicameral, which have only one.
ii.Out of 190 countries globally, 78 operate under bicameral legislatures while 112 follow a unicameral model.
iii.As of 2025, the IPU serves as the “global parliament of parliaments,” comprising 181 member parliaments, and is open to all 46,000+ parliamentarians globally.
iv.Notably, 27.2% of the world’s MPs are women, 18.92% are under 40, and the Committee on the Human Rights of MPs is addressing 880 active human rights cases involving parliamentarians.
About Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU):
President- Dr. Tulia Ackson
Secretary General- Martin Chungong
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
Members- 181 Member Parliaments; 15 Associate Members
Slogan- For Democracy. For everyone
Established – 1889
