Harivansh Leads India at 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha

The Indian Parliamentary Delegation led by Harivansh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, continued its work on the third day of the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at Arusha in Tanzania on 7 October 2026. The Deputy Chairman spoke in the General Debate on the theme 'Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all', where he asked parliamentarians to strengthen transparency, hold governments to account and protect public confidence.

An emergency item for the Himalaya

The delegation voted on the inclusion of an emergency item on the Assembly's agenda. The IPU President then announced that the item adopted was 'Urgent parliamentary action to address climate-related disasters and strengthen resilience in the Himalayan region and other vulnerable regions', proposed by Nepal and supported by India among others. For a numbered assembly, the emergency item is the single most likely question in an examination.

Where the members spoke

Members of the delegation worked across committees and workshops. Sanjay Jaiswal took part in a workshop on mental health across generations, dealing with digital overload, economic pressure and uncertainty. Aparajita Sarangi joined a panel at the Standing Committee on United Nations Affairs on the UN country team in Tanzania as a reflection of a reformed UN system. Bijuli Kalita Medhi attended the Working Group on Science and Technology and the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, which debated parliamentary leadership for protecting mountain and ocean ecosystems and reaching the 30 per cent conservation goal by 2030. Kamaljeet Sehrawat spoke at a panel on the role of parliaments in enforcing international humanitarian law and human rights law, and also at a workshop on ethical artificial intelligence for child rights. Lata Wankhede joined a workshop on delivering healthy food in a changing climate, while Sasmit Patra took part in the expert hearing of the Standing Committee on Peace and International Security on maritime security and the protection of critical infrastructure in times of conflict.

Meetings on the margins

The delegation held a bilateral meeting with Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia. The Deputy Chairman met the outgoing IPU President, Tulia Ackson, and thanked her for making the organisation's work more inclusive. The Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha met Anda Filip, elected Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union at the 152nd Assembly held in Istanbul, Türkiye, and the first woman to hold that post in the body's 137-year history, and conveyed the Indian Parliament's support for the IPU's work on democracy and peace.