improving health, rights and resilience through parliamentary action

WHO joined parliamentary leaders at the 151st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), held from 19 to 23 October 2025 in Geneva, bringing together nearly 1,150 delegates, including more than 600 members of parliament from 132 countries.

Throughout the week, WHO worked together with IPU and partners to strengthen the role of parliaments in advancing health equity, protecting humanitarian principles and promoting resilient systems that protect health and rights for all.

The assembly also marked the first meeting of the association IPU Health Committee since its inauguration last April, a newly established body to strengthen parliamentary engagement in health with a focus on inequalities and discrimination in access to health.

Aligning policy and legislation with the real situation: improving sexual and reproductive health and rights

As part of the first meeting of the IPU Health Committee, Dr. Pascale Allotey, Director of the World Health Organization's Division of Sexual, Reproductive Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Aging, including HRP (UN Special Programme), joined parliamentarians and technical partners in a discussion on how to better align sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) policy and legislation with people's realities.

The dialogue brought together voices from different sectors, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) and the European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF), for a constructive exchange of science and evidence to inform parliamentary action on reproductive and reproductive health and rights, despite growing misinformation and political backlash.

“Sexual and reproductive health is the foundation of demographic sustainability, resilient health systems, and social and economic development. Yet it remains one of the most contested areas in global health,” said Dr. Allotey. She reaffirmed WHO's long-standing partnership with the IPU and emphasized that evidence must be used – not just known – to inform parliamentary activities in shaping laws, budgets and policies. dr. Allotey also outlined shared priorities for the coming year, including ensuring reproductive and reproductive health and health under universal health coverage (UHC), addressing reproductive and reproductive health issues in adolescence, including preventing early pregnancy, addressing infertility and using data to guide progressive policy development, including safe abortion care.

The meeting concluded with the Committee confirming SRHR as a key priority for the ongoing work of the IPU on health.

Breaking the cycle of hunger: addressing food insecurity through parliamentary leadership

Organized by IPU, PMNCH and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), WHO hosted a high-level workshop “Breaking the Cycle of Hunger: Addressing Food Security.”

The moderator is Mrs. Claudia Roth, Member of the German Parliament, and the session was attended by Mrs. Kaia Engesveen, WHO Technical Officer from the Department of Nutrition and Food Security, who presented the latest global data on malnutrition. She noted that while some progress has been made, there is an urgent need to accelerate action to meet the global nutrition targets by 2030. Ms Engesveen also highlighted regulatory interventions that parliamentarians can promote to prevent malnutrition, including food fortification, public food procurement, restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods and taxation of sugary drinks.

The debate also included parliamentarians sharing national experiences, demonstrating how legislative leadership can translate global commitments into concrete laws and budget priorities that improve nutrition and food security. The workshop served as an important introduction to the Third Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and Malnutrition, which is scheduled to take place in Midrand, South Africa in 2026.

Maintaining humanitarian norms and health protection in crisis situations

This year's General Discussion was held under the theme “Supporting humanitarian norms and supporting humanitarian action in times of crisis,” focused on humanitarian principles in the midst of growing conflict, displacement, and climate and health emergencies.

Speaking on behalf of WHO, Ms Elisa Scolaro, External Relations Officer for Parliamentary Affairs, reminded delegates that “health is often the first casualty of a crisis”, urging parliamentarians to protect health workers and facilities, combat misinformation and ensure sustainable funding for resilient health systems.

“In these divided times, health must remain a bridge for cooperation and dialogue, where all nations can work together towards a common goal,” she said. “Parliaments play a key role in ensuring that health is prioritized in national budgets and that governments are held to account for their commitments.”

The debate concluded with the adoption of the Geneva Declaration, which highlighted health as a key component of humanitarian protection, stressing that hospitals, health centers, ambulances and medical personnel must never be targeted or abused.

Youth leadership for humanitarian and health resilience

Representing the WHO Youth Council, Jingxin Xiao, from the global youth-led initiative Act4Food, made a statement at the Young Parliamentarians' Forum, emphasizing that young people are not only beneficiaries, but essential actors in humanitarian and health responses.

Ms. Xiao called on parliamentarians to strengthen youth participation in decision-making, integrate health, climate and digital literacy into education systems, and protect humanitarian environments for youth mental health. Her remarks reflected the ongoing commitment of the WHO Youth Council to ensure that youth voices influence global health policy and confirmed its intention to work with the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians in future assemblies.

Strengthening parliamentary cooperation in tobacco control and beyond

On the margins of the Assembly, WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) The secretariat convened a side event called “Parliamentary Engagement: Strengthening Cooperation in Tobacco Control and Beyond.” The session brought together parliamentarians from more than ten countries, international organizations and experts from the World Health Organization to share experiences and explore opportunities to accelerate the implementation of the World Health Organization's FCTC and its Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

Participants highlighted the key role of parliaments in advancing tobacco control legislation, increasing taxes on tobacco products and protecting public health policies from industry interference. The event also highlighted the need for continued collaboration with parliamentarians and technical support from the World Health Organization to ensure full implementation of tobacco control measures, while integrating them into broader health and sustainable development agendas.

Strengthening cooperation with IPU

WHO's active participation in the 151st Assembly of the IPU reaffirmed its steady cooperation with the IPU. Building on this partnership, WHO invited parliamentarians to continue the dialogue at the next World Health Assembly, where WHO and IPU will co-host the annual Global Parliamentary Forum in May 2026.

With more than 50 colleagues from WHO headquarters engaged throughout the week, the IPU Assembly remains a critical platform for the Organization to maintain an open dialogue with policy makers. WHO remains committed to working with IPU and partners on key priorities, including UHC, global health security and health promotion, with a focus on the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents.