[3] Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and cooperation among its members; other initiatives include advancing gender parity among legislatures, empowering youth participation in politics, and sustainable development.

Its founders were statesmen Frédéric Passy of France and William Randal Cremer of the United Kingdom, who sought to create the first permanent forum for political multilateral negotiations.

It also sponsors and takes part in international conferences and forums, and has permanent observer status at the United Nations General Assembly.

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.

Locations: Eight leading personalities of the IPU have received Nobel Peace Prizes: At its founding on 30 June 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Conference had eight members: Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Liberia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

It plays a pivotal role in addressing the issues which threaten peace, democracy and sustainable development, including through its four thematic standing committees.

[16] This report detailed the measures that had been taken, including opening a liaison office in New York, and cooperation on issues such land-mines and the promotion of representative democracy.

[19] The following year (1999) the Secretary-General reported on an increased number of areas of cooperation,[20] the issue was debated for an entire afternoon[21] (interrupted by a minute of silence held for tribute to Vazgen Sargsyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia who had just at that time been killed by gunmen),[22] and passed a resolution requesting the IPU be allowed to address the Millennium General Assembly directly.

[23] Following another report,[24] and another half-day debate,[25] the General Assembly welcomed the IPU declaration entitled "The Parliamentary vision for international cooperation at the dawn of the third millennium" and called for the Secretary-General to explore new and further ways in which the relationship could be strengthened.