Naoero Island’s parliament joins IPU to become its 184th member

ARUSHA: The Parliament of Naoero has joined the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), expanding the organisation’s representation to 184 of the world’s 189 functioning national parliaments and giving small island states a stronger voice on issues such as climate change.

The announcement was made on Tuesday during the 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha, where IPU welcomed Speaker of the Parliament of Naoero, Marcus Stephen, as the country formally became the latest member of the global parliamentary organisation.

Although Naoero is among the world’s smallest countries, its membership is expected to strengthen the representation of small island states and Pacific countries within the IPU, particularly on challenges that directly affect them, including climate change.

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The IPU said Naoero’s membership would bring a new perspective to its work while creating opportunities to deepen parliamentary cooperation and support the development of the country’s Parliament.

The organisation also welcomed Speaker Stephen to the Arusha Assembly and said it looked forward to working with the Parliament of Naoero to identify opportunities for further parliamentary development.