Dar es Salaam. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has elected Anda Filip as its ninth Secretary General, making her the first woman to hold the post in the organisation’s 140-year history.
Ms Filip, from Romania, was elected during the 152nd IPU Assembly in Istanbul, Türkiye, securing 229 votes out of 321 cast.
She defeated Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, who received 47 votes, Cecilia Widegren with 29 votes, and Fatou Dieng Thiam with 14 votes.
The Secretary General serves as the chief executive of the IPU, overseeing the Secretariat and reporting to the Governing Council. The office works with the IPU President to implement the organisation’s programme.
Ms Filip will succeed Martin Chungong, who was first elected in 2014. He was the first African and first non-European to hold the post and will complete his final term on June 30, 2026.
Ms Filip has worked at the IPU for more than 20 years. She has served as Director for Member Parliaments and External Relations since 2011 and was previously the IPU Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York.
She has also held diplomatic roles in Romania, including ambassador and permanent representative to international organisations in Geneva, and minister counsellor at the Romanian Embassy in Washington, D.C..
Other candidates included Sangsoo Jun, who has served in senior roles in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.
Ms Avgerinopoulou is a member of parliament in Greece and focuses on environmental governance. Ms Thiam has worked in United Nations missions, including in Mali and South Sudan. Ms Widegren is a former member of parliament in Sweden.
The IPU Governing Council, made up of parliamentarians from 183 member states, will oversee the transition as Ms Filip prepares to take office in July 2026.
