The 124th IPU Assembly took place in Panama City. After five days of debate, it ended its proceedings by adopting four major resolutions. The first was on laws to prevent electoral violence and ensure a smooth transition of power. The resolution sends a strong message to parliaments to enact legislation giving robust regulatory, investigative and prosecutorial powers to independent and impartial election management bodies. It also appeals to civil society organizations, media groups, academic institutions, human rights agencies and international organizations to help people understand their constitutional rights and obligations regarding elections.

A second resolution examines the transparency and accountability of political parties and election campaigns. It invites governments to put in place measures to secure the independence of political parties so as to shield them from undue influence, and to curb corruption and bloated spending on election campaigns. The resolution also invited IPU Member Parliaments to consider measures to limit, prohibit or regulate funding by NGOs, corporate bodies and foreign sources so as to discourage undue influence on political outcomes.

In a different sphere, the Assembly also adopted a resolution on how parliaments can help sustainable development through better management of natural resources and agricultural production. The resolution is a response to the alarming rate of growth in global population figures. There is simply not enough food to go around. As the text states, the situation exacerbates the risk of wars breaking out over access to land and the use of water resources.

Responding to recent political upheavals in various countries, the Assembly also adopted an emergency resolution entitled "Strengthening democratic reform in emerging democracies, including North Africa and the Middle East" which affirms the importance of these countries holding free and fair elections as soon as practicable.  The gathering also featured a debate on recent political upheavals in which senior parliamentarians from Algeria, Chile, Germany and the Philippines drew lessons from comparable periods of turbulent change they had observed in their own countries.

While these issues were being debated the Executive Director of UN Women told the 600 lawmakers gathered in Panama City that she was pleased to learn that the High Commission for the Realization of the Objectives of the Revolution in Tunisia had approved the Election Code for elections to the Constituent Assembly on 24 July. The code is based on parity and the rule of every other candidate on party lists being a woman.  “This is a major achievement for which we congratulate and applaud the Tunisian people", said Ms. Bachelet.  She went on to applaud gender-sensitive budgeting and new strategies such as reports on the gender impact of new laws while conceding that despite significant strides in the past few decades, progress towards women having an equal place in politics was painfully slow.