Inter-Parliamentary Union - History

History

Eight leading personalities of the IPU have received Nobel Peace Prizes:

  • 1901: Frédéric Passy (France)
  • 1902: Charles Albert Gobat (Switzerland)
  • 1903: Randal Cremer (United Kingdom)
  • 1908: Fredrik Bajer (Denmark)
  • 1909: Auguste Marie François Beernaert (Belgium)
  • 1913: Henri La Fontaine (Belgium)
  • 1921: Christian Lange (Norway)
  • 1927: Ferdinand Buisson (France)

The organisation's initial objective was the arbitration of conflicts. The IPU played an important part in setting up the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Over time, its mission has evolved towards the promotion of democracy and inter-parliamentary dialogue. The IPU has worked for establishment of institutions at the inter-governmental level, including the United Nations, an organization with which it cooperates and with which it has permanent observer status.

Numerous bodies have expressed interest in the possibility of transforming the IPU into a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, among them the Committee for a Democratic UN, the German Bundestag and the Socialist International. The Liberal International also considers this as an option.

The headquarters of the union have been moved several times since its inception. Locations:

  • 1892–1911: Bern (Switzerland)
  • 1911–1914: Brussels (Belgium)
  • 1914–1920: Oslo (Norway)
  • 1921 – permanent in Geneva (Switzerland)

Read more about this topic:  Inter-Parliamentary Union

Famous quotes containing the word history:

    A man will not need to study history to find out what is best for his own culture.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    There is a constant in the average American imagination and taste, for which the past must be preserved and celebrated in full-scale authentic copy; a philosophy of immortality as duplication. It dominates the relation with the self, with the past, not infrequently with the present, always with History and, even, with the European tradition.
    Umberto Eco (b. 1932)

    The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.
    Karl Marx (1818–1883)