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The British Group, Inter-Parliamentary Union
Advancing the Parliamentary dimension of Britain’s foreign relations.
The priority for the BGIPU’s parliamentary diplomacy effort is to promote and consolidate Britain’s interests abroad and engage Parliamentarians in key global issues. The BGIPU works to expand awareness and understanding of foreign relations and the contribution to be made by the UK Parliament to consolidate parliamentary democracy worldwide.
Through encouraging trade and sustainable economic development, supporting effective global peace and security mechanisms, defending universal human rights norms and respect for the rule of law, the BGIPU seeks to advance the key role that parliaments can play in international affairs
This includes cooperation at a multilateral level through the IPU, particularly in promoting parliamentary capacity building and bolstering democratic norms and institutions. The BGIPU also seeks to ensure that there is greater parliamentary input to multilateral dialogue, in particular through the United Nations system.
In common with other IPU national groups in many countries, the BGIPU consists of members of all parties and the cross-benches. Membership is open to all members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, there are currently over 600 Members of the Group.
The British Group is governed by an Executive Committee whose members are elected according to the Rules of the Group, at the Annual General Meeting. The Executive is supported in carrying out the programme of the Group by a full-time Secretariat.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union comprises parliamentarians from 162 Member Parliaments and 10 Associate Members, and aims to complement international relations conducted at inter-governmental level by ministers, ambassadors and other state officials by establishing friendship, understanding and co-operation between parliamentarians on issues of common concern and international significance. The IPU is supported by an International Secretariat based in Geneva since 1921 with responsibility for co-ordinating the IPU's global activities, including biannual Assemblies and other specialised meetings.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union website
British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
