Geneva : The 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will be held in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, from 5 to 9 October 2026, bringing together hundreds of lawmakers from around the world for a week of high-level parliamentary diplomacy.
Hosted by Bunge la Tanzania, the National Assembly of Tanzania, the focus of the Assembly will be on Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all.
Highlights of the Assembly will include:
- The expected affiliation of Naoero, growing the IPU to 184 Member Parliaments.
- An expected resolution on parliamentary strategies to promote the rights and empowerment of people living with disabilities.
- Meetings of all the IPU’s parliamentary bodies, including its four Standing Committees, the Forums of Women and Young Parliamentarians, the Committee on Middle East Questions and the Task Force for the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine.
- Panel discussions and workshops for parliamentarians on a wide range of subjects including: military artificial intelligence, oversight of extractive industries, mental health, AI and children’s rights, AI and the future of work, healthy food in a changing climate, protecting mountain and ocean ecosystems, reviewing the Charter of the United Nations, and strengthening maritime security in times of conflict.
- The award of the 2026 Cremer-Passy Prize, the MP of the year award, to a legislator with an exceptional record on human rights.
The Assembly will end with the election of a new IPU President, the political head of the IPU, to replace Dr. Tulia Ackson of the United Republic of Tanzania, whose three-year term comes to an end in October.
At the time of writing, there are three candidates on the ballot:
- Ms. Sahiba Gafarova, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan;
- Mr. Milton Dick, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Australia;
- Mr. Rojo Edwards Silva, a Senator from Chile.
Practical details:
Venue: Arusha International Conference Centre, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania
Registration: Media representatives are invited to register here: https://153ipuassembly.vfairs.com/
Agenda of the 153rd Assembly
1. Election of the President of the 153rd Assembly
2. Consideration of requests for the inclusion of an emergency item in the Assembly agenda
3. General Debate on the theme Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all
4. Special accountability segment on the implementation of IPU resolutions and other decisions
5. Inclusive social development for all: Parliamentary strategies to promote the rights and empowerment of people living with disabilities (Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights)
6. Reports of the Standing Committees
7. Approval of the subject item for the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights at the 155th IPU Assembly and appointment of the co-Rapporteurs 8. Amendments to the IPU Statutes and Rules
Concept note for the General Debate Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all
Societies flourish when they are governed responsibly, effectively and inclusively. As a system of institutions, processes and practices through which issues of common concern are managed, good governance is ultimately about public institutions and decision-making processes that serve people and enable them to shape the decisions that affect their lives: protecting their rights, responding to their needs, managing public resources responsibly and creating fair opportunities for all. Good governance is reflected in the extent to which people can access justice, trust public institutions, benefit from high-quality public services and have confidence that their voice matters.
This vision is at the heart of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions. SDG 16 links effective, accountable and inclusive institutions with the rule of law, access to justice, fundamental freedoms and peaceful societies. It is also an enabler of the wider 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: without transparent institutions that are open to the public’s input and can deliver fair laws, sound budgets, high-quality public services, and effective implementation of policies and programmes, the twin objectives of development and peace are harder to achieve and sustain.
The true test of good governance is, therefore, what it delivers in people’s lives. Institutions need to be not only transparent and accountable, but also capable, responsive and effective. Decisions should be informed by reliable data, research, public consultation and an evaluation of what works. Evidencebased policymaking can help governments and parliaments identify needs, allocate resources more effectively, anticipate unintended consequences and adjust policies when results fall short. It also helps parliamentarians better understand the real experiences of the people they represent and ensure that policies are responsive to their needs.
Trust is central to this equation. Public confidence is strengthened when institutions communicate how decisions are taken, apply rules consistently, acknowledge shortcomings and demonstrate results. Trust also grows when people feel listened to, treated fairly and able to hold decision makers to account. Conversely, corruption, impunity, unequal access to justice, weak accountability, poor management and perceptions of double standards undermine trust and weaken the legitimacy of governance systems at all levels.
Good governance depends in particular on inclusion and empowerment. Women, young people, persons with disabilities and other groups that remain underrepresented must be able to participate meaningfully in public life and influence decisions that affect them. Representation matters, but so does quality of participation: every person needs access to information, genuine opportunities to be heard, and practical avenues through which their voice can shape priorities, laws, budgets and public services. Civic education can equip young people in particular with the knowledge, skills and confidence to understand democratic institutions, exercise their rights and responsibilities, and engage constructively as informed citizens and future leaders.
Communities are therefore not merely beneficiaries of governance; the people who make up those communities are essential partners in shaping, implementing and assessing it. Empowering communities means giving people the information, space, capacity and channels to identify priorities, contribute to solutions, hold institutions to account and take greater ownership of local development. Allowing people’s lived experiences to inform public decisions can make institutions more responsive and better connected to realities on the ground. Civil society, academia, the private sector, and religious, traditional and community leaders can contribute to mobilizing knowledge, strengthening social bonds, supporting accountability and building resilience, while helping ensure that the voices of those who are least heard are included in public decision-making.
New technologies, when they are used responsibly, can support these efforts. Digital tools can widen access to information and public services, make participation easier, improve the collection and use of data, and help institutions communicate more directly with citizens, including those who have traditionally faced barriers to participation. At the same time, when safeguards are weak, technology can reinforce exclusion, contribute to the spread of disinformation and undermine people’s rights. Good governance therefore requires that digital innovation be transparent, inclusive, secure, rights-respecting and subject to democratic oversight.
Parliaments are uniquely placed to bring all of the elements of good governance together. Whether in their constituencies, through public consultations or in their parliamentary work, parliamentarians are often the first to hear directly from people whose lives are affected by public decisions. By exercising their legislative, budgetary, oversight and representation functions, parliaments can bridge the gap between commitments and implementation: scrutinizing whether policies deliver measurable results, respond adequately to people’s needs and improve their daily lives, and ensuring that public administrations, the justice system and other institutions that serve the people are accountable, inclusive and adequately resourced.
Against this background, delegates participating in the General Debate of the 153rd IPU Assembly are invited to reflect on the following questions:
• How can parliaments strengthen transparent, accountable, inclusive and effective governance and help fight corruption so that people have greater confidence in public institutions?
• How can parliaments empower people and the communities they belong to, and work with different stakeholders, to build trust, advance locally responsive development, strengthen community ownership, and ensure meaningful participation by women, young people, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups?
• How can parliaments promote evidence-based decision-making, including through better use of data, research, public consultation and evaluation, to ensure that policies respond to people’s lived realities and improve outcomes for all, particularly those most in need?
• How can parliaments harness new technologies to improve meaningful participation, enhance access to reliable information and ensure high-quality public services while protecting human rights
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