Tanzania to host global lawmakers for 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha

Tanzania will host hundreds of lawmakers from across the world next month for the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), with delegates expected to debate governance, inclusion and emerging global policy challenges.

The five-day meeting will be held from October 5 to 9 at the Arusha International Conference Centre and hosted by Tanzania’s National Assembly.

The Geneva-based IPU brings together 183 national parliaments and serves as a forum for legislators to discuss international issues, adopt resolutions and coordinate parliamentary action.

The Assembly will be held under the theme, “enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all”.

Delegates are expected to examine ways of strengthening public institutions, widening participation in decision-making and improving opportunities for communities.

The meeting will also usher in a change of leadership, with the IPU Governing Council expected to elect a successor to Tanzania’s Tulia Ackson, whose three-year term ends in October.

Three candidates had been declared by September 9: Azerbaijan’s parliamentary speaker Sahiba Gafarova, Australian House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick and Chilean Senator Rojo Edwards Silva.

The Assembly will consider requests for an emergency item and is expected to adopt a resolution on parliamentary strategies to advance the rights and empowerment of people living with disabilities.

A special accountability session will also review implementation of previous IPU resolutions and decisions.

The programme includes meetings of the IPU’s standing committees, the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and the Committee on Middle East Questions, as well as forums for women and young parliamentarians.

Lawmakers will also discuss emerging issues facing national legislatures, including military applications of artificial intelligence, AI and children’s rights, the future of work, oversight of extractive industries, critical minerals, mental health, food systems and maritime security.

The IPU task force working towards a peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine is also scheduled to meet in Arusha, adding an international security dimension to the Assembly.

Founded in 1889, the IPU is made up of national parliaments from around the world. Nauru, officially known as Naoero, is expected to become the organisation’s 184th member during the Tanzania meeting.

The Assembly will take place as Tanzania begins implementing its Development Vision 2050, which seeks to transform the country into a more industrialised and internationally competitive economy by mid-century.

The strategy targets a $1 trillion economy and gross national income per capita of at least $7,000.

Implementation of the long-term plan has begun through national planning and budget processes. Tanzania’s National Planning Commission said earlier this month that 150 development projects had been registered on a new e-Delivery monitoring platform since it became operational in July, with more than 500 projects expected to be tracked eventually.

Parliament is expected to play a role through legislation, approval of public expenditure and oversight of government institutions and development programmes, areas that intersect with the governance and accountability issues on the IPU agenda.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of increased trade, energy generation and infrastructure investment in Tanzania. Goods and services exports were reported at nearly $20 billion in the year to July 2026, while increased electricity generation and cargo volumes at the Port of Dar es Salaam have supported the country’s industrialisation efforts.

However, the focus of the October Assembly will remain on parliamentary work, with delegates expected to adopt committee resolutions, conclude the general debate and elect the IPU’s next president.

The election will mark the end of Ackson’s three-year tenure at the helm of the global parliamentary organisation.