Martin Chungong is the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), with decades of experience promoting democracy, transparency, and innovation in parliaments around the world.
He reveals how he is driving global parliamentary dialogue during his tenure.
How has your career, which started as a linguist, led to your position as Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)?
I indeed began my professional journey as a linguist—I’ve always had a passion for languages. From an early age in primary school, I was fascinated by them. English is my mother tongue, and French was the first foreign language I learned. I always dreamed of becoming a translator and interpreter.
Interestingly, I only discovered diplomacy much later. After university, I was admitted to the School of Diplomacy in Cameroon but turned it down for personal reasons. Instead, I began working with the Parliament of Cameroon. That’s where I first encountered the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and I’ve now been with the IPU for over 30 years—rising through the ranks from program officer to Secretary General.
People sometimes compare my journey to that of the late Kofi Annan, as we both rose from within our organizations and we’re both African. I’ve served in roles ranging from Director of Democracy to Deputy Secretary General, and now Secretary General. I never planned to be a diplomat, but I have no regrets. It’s been a deeply fulfilling path.
In what ways can the IPU aid in conflict resolution and the promotion of peace?
The IPU was founded by two pacifists: William Randal Cremer, member of parliament from the UK and Frédéric Passy, member of parliament from France, back in the late 19th century. Their shared belief in dialogue as a means of resolving disputes still defines our organization today.
We’ve always championed parliamentary diplomacy, using dialogue among parliaments to solve conflicts peacefully. This includes inter-parliamentary diplomacy (between parliaments) and intra-parliamentary diplomacy (helping parties within the same parliament resolve internal tensions).
Some of our structures and initiatives dedicated to peace-building include:
The Committee on Middle East Questions, one of the few platforms where Israelis and Palestinians engage in constructive dialogue; supporting dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan; and even facilitating a historic meeting between the two Koreas in Geneva in 2018.
Another way we help is maintaining dialogue in divided countries like Cyprus and working in West Africa, not by suspending countries after coups but by helping them speed up return to constitutional rule and supporting transitional legislative bodies.
We aim to be a consistent, nonpartisan advocate for peace, always emphasizing understanding over force.
As Chair of the Global Board of the International Gender Champions, what measures have you put in place to advance gender equality within parliaments worldwide?
I’ve been part of the International Gender Champions (IGC) since its inception in 2015. This year marks its tenth anniversary, and when I became Chair of the Global Board, I saw it as recognition of the IPU’s long-standing commitment to gender equality.
We take two core pledges at IGC:
• The Gender Parity Pledge – ensuring equal gender representation at meetings.
• The Pledge to Fight Gender-Based Violence, especially targeting violence against women in politics.
At the IPU, we’ve implemented tangible mechanisms:
Countries with single-sex delegations lose part of their voting rights at our assemblies. This has driven up female participation from 11–12% to nearly 38%.
We have a Gender Partnership Group that monitors representation and gently pressures countries with poor gender balance.
We publish regular reports on women’s representation at each assembly and have adopted a zero-tolerance anti-harassment policy, ensuring IPU events are safe for everyone.
This year, we launched a campaign called Achieving gender equality, action by action. This is built around three goals:
• Promoting parity in decision-making.
• Transforming parliaments into gender-sensitive institutions.
• Fighting gender-based violence and discrimination.
We kicked this off during our 150th Assembly in Uzbekistan, and it’s gaining momentum, with many global leaders already endorsing it.
How have the role and functions of IPU evolved during your tenure?
When I was elected Secretary General in 2014, we had 163 member parliaments. Today, we’re at 181 members, plus several associate members. The organization is expanding, becoming more universal in scope.
We’ve also gained greater visibility and relevance. We now bring the voices of all 46,000 parliamentarians worldwide into major global processes, especially within the UN. In fact, the UN Secretary-General recently published a report highlighting the importance of our work in integrating parliamentary perspectives into global governance.
Financially, we’ve grown too. Our budget—both assessed contributions and voluntary funding—has increased. Remarkably, we no longer need to chase countries for dues. Instead, they voted to increase their contributions by 3% over the next few years. We’ve also attracted more donors, which speaks to the value and impact of our work.
Operationally, we’ve expanded our physical presence. We opened new offices in Vienna, a key UN hub, and are setting up regional offices in Uruguay and Egypt. This brings the IPU closer to the people it serves.
Personally, at the 150th IPU Assembly in Tashkent in April this year, I was honored to receive Uzbekistan’s highest award for foreigners, the Friendship Award, recognizing our work in diplomacy and sustainable development. That was a special moment for me and the IPU.
Ultimately, my guiding question every morning is: What can I do today that will positively impact at least one human being? If I can answer that, I know I’m doing my job.
The International Day of Parliamentarism on 30 June celebrates the role of parliaments in democracy. How can modern parliaments evolve to remain effective in an era of political polarization?
The International Day of Parliamentarism commemorates the founding of the IPU back in 1889 in Paris. The United Nations declared this date in 2019 to celebrate the role of parliaments in democracy.
Modern parliaments need to evolve significantly to meet the demands of today’s world. One of the most important aspects is harnessing new technologies. At the IPU, we’ve launched a digital transformation initiative.
The aim is to ensure new technologies serve our global organization, improving how we work and interact.
We also urge our member parliaments to lead in using emerging technologies in a beneficial way—while also mitigating the risks. Artificial intelligence, for example, holds both great promise and significant risks to humanity. That’s why we have published a Charter on Ethics of Technology and Scientific Innovation. We’ve also adopted a resolution on the impact of AI on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
What is your vision for IPU’s future as it moves with the fast-moving technologies of the digital age?
We’ve created the Center for Innovation in Parliaments, a dedicated department that helps parliaments utilize new technologies effectively. We want to make sure our member parliaments are not just catching up with the times, but leading the way in responsible innovation.
The IPU has existed continuously since 1889—unlike many organizations, we’ve never been suspended or dissolved. That’s because we’ve stayed agile, adapting to the times.
We started as a peace-building organization, but we realized over time that democracies rarely go to war with each other, so democracy became central to our mission. Now, we see the critical link between peace, democracy, and development.
Peace and democracy are values, but development is tangible. People expect results—sustainable development, action on climate change, solutions to everyday problems. My vision is for the IPU to continue helping democratic societies deliver on those expectations.