Delegates from the Senate attend the 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha

October 5-9, 2026

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The 153rd IPU Assembly was held in Arusha, Tanzania, for five days from Monday, October 5th, to Friday, October 9th, 2026. A delegation from the National Diet of Japan comprised two members from the Senate—Mr. KENZAKA Shigenori, as deputy leader of the delegation, and Mr. SATOMI Ryuji—as well as three members from the House of Representatives, including Mr. ITO Tatsuya as leader of the delegation.

The plenary session lasted three days, from Tuesday, October 6th to Thursday,8th, and included a general debate in which the subject of "Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all" was discussed. During this session Mr. Kenzaka delivered a speech on disaster prevention, highlighting Japan’s international contribution to "building back better" to create a nation more resilient than before as well as national resilience incorporating proactive disaster prevention.

In the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Mr. Satomi participated in a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and the future of work. Reflecting recent discussions at the International Labour Conference, Mr. Satomi emphasized the necessity of reassessing the AI–worker relationship from the viewpoint of human-centric AI and grounded on the principle of decent work.

The delegation also held meetings with delegations from Malaysia, Canada, and Tanzania, as well as with Mr. Milton Dick, Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives and a candidate for IPU President.

The delegation also inspected two Japanese ODA projects: the Arusha-Holili road and the Makuyuni-Ngorongoro road, as well as TANJA Farm, which is operated by a Japanese company, and Sakura Girls Secondary School, which is jointly operated by a Japanese corporation and a local NGO. The delegation also received a briefing from the Tanzania National Parks Authority, exchanged views with them, and met with Japanese residents of Tanzania to discuss local conditions.

During the Assembly, an election for the office of IPU President was held, and Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Mr. Milton Dick was elected from among three candidates.