The International Parliamentary Union was founded in 1889 as a contact body of parliaments of all sovereign States and has its headquarters in Geneva since 1921. It developed from an initially small association to the global organization of national parliaments. It is particularly committed to the peaceful understanding in conflict situations, for the protection of human rights and the strengthening of democratic institutions.
The Inter-Parliamentary Conference - Plenary Session of the Organization - meets twice a year. Then political, economic and social issues of international interest are discussed and resolutions to these issues are developed. According to the regulations of the Union, the members of the Union shall be required to distribute the resolutions in Parliament and to the governments and to promote its implementation. It is therefore an object of any delegate, to bring the Resolutions of the IPU to its Parliament and to work towards their implementation. However, the individual resolutions are not binding for the parliaments of the States represented in the IPU.