Inter-Parliamentary Union

The Inter-Parliamentary Union is an international organization established in 1889 by William Randal Cremer (United Kingdom) and Frédéric Passy (France). It was the first permanent forum for political multilateral negotiations. Initially, the organization was for individual parliamentarians, but has since transformed into an international organization of the Parliaments of sovereign States.

Leading personalities of the IPU has received eight Nobel Peace Prizes:

• 1901: Frédéric Passy (France)
• 1902: Albert Gobat (Switzerland)
• 1903: William Randal Cremer (United Kingdom)
• 1908: Frederic Bajer (Denmark)

• 1909: August Marie Francois Beernaert (Belgium)
• 1913: Henri La Fontaine (Belgium)
• 1921: Christian Lange (Norway)
• 1927: Ferdinand Buisson (France)

The IPU played an important part in setting up the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, and has worked for establishment of institutions at the inter-governmental level, including the United Nations, an organization with which it cooperates.

Over one hundred national parliaments are members of the IPU. Since 1921, the headquarters have been in Geneva, Switzerland.

External link

• http://www.ipu.org/