Inter-Parliamentary Union elects new President as 153rd Assembly closes in Arusha

Prelims pointers

• Inter-Parliamentary Union: the global organization of national parliaments, founded in Paris in 1889 by William Randal Cremer and Frédéric Passy; headquarters in Geneva since 1921.
• UN link: the IPU is not a UN organ or specialised agency; it has had Permanent Observer status at the United Nations since 2002.
• Members: national parliaments are Member Parliaments; regional bodies such as the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament are Associate Members. India's Parliament is a member.
• Assembly: the main political body; meets twice a year, in Geneva or hosted by a Member Parliament; works through four Standing Committees and adopts resolutions.
• Governing Council: the administrative and policy-making body; up to three parliamentarians per Member Parliament; admits and suspends members, oversees the budget, elects the President.
• Executive Committee: the President, 15 elected members, and the heads of the bodies of women and young parliamentarians; it oversees administration and advises the Governing Council.
• Emergency item: an Assembly accepts one per session, on a recent major international situation, and the request needs two-thirds of the votes cast.
• Najma Heptulla of India, President from 1999 to 2002, was the first woman to head the IPU. The IPU helped set up the Permanent Court of Arbitration (1899).