During the 143rd assembly of the institution that brings together the members of 179 national parliaments, held in Madrid from 26 to 30 November, the Sovereign Order of Malta was admitted as Permanent Observer to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).. The Headquarters of the IPU is based in Geneva where the Order’s Permanent Mission to the UN has developed a fruitful cooperation.

Meeting the IPU President, Duarte Pacheco, the Sovereign Order of Malta’s representative, Ambassador Daniele Verga, thanked the IPU for the Order’s admission, recognizing the organization’s role in advancing the processes of democratization and establishing the rule of law. President Duarte Pacheco expressed his appreciation for the Sovereign Order of Malta’s humanitarian action and examined possible forms of cooperation, particularly in the areas of inter-religious dialogue, the fight against human trafficking, and new forms of slavery, refugees and migrants, and the culture of respect for personal dignity.