The 149th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is being held in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 13 to 17, 2024. Representing the State Great Hural (Parliament), Chairwoman Kh. Bulgantuya, along with MPs O. Nominchimeg, G. Khosbayar, and Secretary-General B. Baasandorj, are actively participating in the event.

The Assembly will focus on adopting a comprehensive outcome document based on its central discussion theme. Key IPU bodies, including the Governing Council, Standing Committees, the Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians, the Middle East Committee, the Forum of Women Parliamentarians, and the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, are convening at this session.

This year’s central theme for the General Debate is “Aligning Science, Technology, and Innovation for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future.” The assembly offers a platform for representatives of IPU member countries to discuss methods for enhancing the benefits of new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, while addressing its risks and promoting parliamentary collaboration.

Additionally, the Assembly will pass a resolution on “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Democracy, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law,” based on discussions in the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union, founded in 1889 in Paris, now includes 180 national parliaments and 15 associated regional parliamentary bodies. The IPU facilitates communication and cooperation among parliaments, supports international dialogue on critical global issues, and promotes parliamentary action to uphold human rights, contributing to the improvement of parliamentary functions worldwide.

Mongolia’s State Great Hural joined the IPU in 1962, with relations evolving significantly after Mongolia’s transition to a democratic system in the early 1990s. A milestone in this cooperation was the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding, focusing on democratic values such as human rights and gender equality. One notable effort under this memorandum, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, was the State Great Hural’s self-assessment on gender equality and human rights based on IPU guidelines. Mongolia’s parliament became the 13th globally to undertake a gender assessment and the first to conduct a self-assessment on human rights.