advancing health, rights and resilience through parliamentary action

WHO joined parliamentary leaders at the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, held on 19–23 October 2025 in Geneva, bringing together nearly 1150 delegates, including over 600 members of parliament from 132 countries.

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

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

Aligning policy and legislation with lived realities: advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights

As part of the first meeting of the IPU Committee on Health, Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing including HRP (UN Special Programme), joined parliamentarians and technical partners to discuss how to better align sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) policy and legislation with the lived realities of people.

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

“Sexual and reproductive health is foundational to demographic sustainability, resilient health systems and social and economic development. And 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 only known – to inform parliamentary action in shaping laws, budgets and policies. Dr Allotey also highlighted shared priorities for the year ahead, including ensuring SRHR within universal health coverage (UHC), addressing adolescent SRH, including prevention of early pregnancy, addressing infertility and using data to guide progressive policy development, including on safe abortion care.

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

Breaking the hunger cycle: tackling food insecurity through parliamentary leadership

Co-organized with IPU, PMNCH and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), WHO co-hosted a high-level workshop “Breaking the hunger cycle: addressing food security.”

Moderated by Ms Claudia Roth, Member of Parliament from Germany, the session featured Ms. Kaia Engesveen, WHO Technical Officer from the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, who presented the latest global data on malnutrition. She noted that while some progress has been achieved, accelerated action is urgently needed to meet the 2030 Global Nutrition Targets. Ms Engesveen also outlined 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 discussion also featured parliamentarians sharing national experiences, demonstrating how legislative leadership can translate global commitments into concrete laws and budgetary priorities that advance nutrition and food security. The workshop served as an important lead-up to the Third Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and Malnutrition scheduled to take place in Midrand, South Africa in 2026.
 

Upholding humanitarian norms and protecting health in crises

This year’s General Debate was held under the theme “Upholding humanitarian norms and supporting humanitarian action in times of crisis,” focused on humanitarian principles amid growing conflicts, 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 in crisis,” calling on parliamentarians to protect health workers and facilities, combat misinformation and secure sustainable financing for resilient health systems.

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

The Debate concluded with the adoption of the Geneva Declaration, which underscored health as a core component of humanitarian protection, stressing that hospitals, healthcare centres, ambulances and medical personnel must never be targeted or misused.
 

Youth leadership for humanitarian and health resilience

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

Ms Xiao urged parliamentarians to strengthen youth participation in decision-making, integrate health, climate and digital literacy into education systems, and protect youth mental health humanitarian settings. Her remarks reflected the WHO Youth Council’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that young voices influence global health policy and affirmed its intention to collaborate with the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians in future assemblies.
 

Strengthening parliamentary collaboration on tobacco control and beyond

On the margins of the Assembly, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Secretariat convened a side event titled “Parliamentary engagement: Strengthening collaboration on tobacco control and beyond.” The session brought together parliamentarians from over ten countries, international organizations and WHO experts to share experiences and explore opportunities to accelerate the implementation of the WHO FCTC and its Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

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

Strengthening collaboration with IPU

WHO’s active participation across the 151st IPU Assembly reaffirmed its steadfast collaboration with 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 WHO colleagues from headquarters engaged throughout the week, the IPU Assembly remains a critical platform for the Organization to maintain an open dialogue with policymakers. WHO remains committeed 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.