The Inter-Parliamentary Union and the 153rd Assembly at Arusha

In October 2026, parliamentarians from around the world gathered in Arusha, Tanzania, for the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The Assembly adopted the Arusha Communiqué on good governance and community empowerment, and agreed resolutions on disability inclusion and on parliamentary action after climate-related disasters in the Himalayan region.

What the IPU is

The IPU is the world organisation of national parliaments. It was founded in 1889 as the Inter-Parliamentary Conference, which makes it one of the oldest multilateral political organisations in the world. Its members are national parliaments, not governments, so its assemblies bring together elected lawmakers rather than diplomats. It works to promote democratic governance, accountability, cooperation among parliaments, the development of international law and institutions, and the foundations of peace.

Its assemblies are held twice a year, hosted in turn by member parliaments. India participates as a member parliament, and Indian parliamentary delegations take part in the general debate, the standing committees and the drafting of resolutions.

The 153rd Assembly at Arusha

The 153rd Assembly was held at Arusha, in northern Tanzania, from 5 to 9 October 2026, hosted by the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania. Arusha sits close to Mount Meru and the Arusha National Park, and it is a regular venue for East African diplomacy: it hosts the East African Community and the East African Legislative Assembly.

The Assembly concluded on 9 October 2026 with the formal adoption of the Arusha Communiqué, titled Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all. Its central argument is that good governance and community empowerment reinforce each other, and that both are needed to rebuild trust in public institutions and to promote peaceful societies.

What the Arusha Communiqué asks parliaments to do

• Restore public trust and combat corruption, and safeguard democracy, so that citizens see parliaments as accountable rather than remote.
• Ground laws, public policies and budgets in evidence, including scientific data, official statistics, local knowledge and the lived experience of communities.
• Keep lawmakers accessible and active in their communities, including in remote areas, rather than visible only during elections.
• Use artificial intelligence and other digital technologies responsibly, to widen public access to information and participation in decision-making, while guarding against misinformation, bias, digital divides and risks to human rights and data security.
• Make parliaments more inclusive, invest in civic education, and plan for the long term, with the interests of future generations in view.

The resolutions adopted

Alongside the Communiqué, the Assembly adopted a resolution on inclusive social development for all, calling on parliaments to treat the rights and empowerment of persons with disabilities as a core issue of human rights, democratic representation and sustainable development. The resolution notes that about 1.3 billion people worldwide live with disabilities, roughly 16 per cent of the global population.

It also adopted, unanimously, an emergency-item resolution on urgent parliamentary action to address climate-related disasters and strengthen resilience in the Himalayan region and other vulnerable regions. The resolution responded to the disaster of unprecedented scale that struck the Rasuwa–Bhotekoshi region of Nepal on 26 August 2026, and it called for parliamentary action on preparedness and resilience in mountain regions exposed to climate-related hazards.

The Assembly also elected a new IPU President, with Australia's Milton Dick succeeding Tanzania's Tulia Ackson. The 154th Assembly is scheduled for Geneva, Switzerland, from 10 to 14 May 2027.

Why it matters for UPSC

• Prelims: the IPU's founding year (1889), its character as an organisation of parliaments rather than governments, the Arusha venue and dates, and the titles of the Communiqué and the two resolutions.
• Mains: parliamentary diplomacy as a complement to executive diplomacy; the link between trust in institutions and democratic legitimacy; disability inclusion as a legislative duty; and climate resilience in the Himalayan region as a parliamentary concern, not only an executive one.

Key facts