ABSTRACT
The Assembly is the main statutory body of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), comprising eight to 10 representatives from each member parliament. The Governing Council comprises two representatives of each member parliament, usually from different political groups. It is responsible for approving membership and the annual programme and budget of the IPU, and for electing the Secretary-General. The Association of Secretaries-General of Parliaments, an autonomous, self-managing body that meets during the IPU Assembly, has consultative status at the IPU. A Technical Co-operation Programme aims to mobilize international support in order to improve the capabilities, infrastructure and technical facilities of national parliaments and enhance their effectiveness. The Union’s guiding Universal Declaration on Democracy was adopted by member parliaments in September 1997. An IPU Centre on Innovation in Parliament was inaugurated in December 2018, offering parliaments a platform for developing and sharing digital strategies.
