International Democrat Union  The International Democrat Union (IDU) is an international alliance of centre-right and conservative political parties. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the IDU comprises 73 full and associate members from 63 different countries. It is chaired by Stephen Harper, former Prime Minister of Canada. The IDU provides a forum in which political parties holding similar beliefs can come together and exchange views on matters of policy and organisational interest. From this, they act cooperatively, establish contacts, and present a unified voice toward the promotion of centre-right policies around the globe. The IDU has some overlap of member parties with the Centrist Democrat International (CDI), but the CDI is more centrist and communitarian than the IDU. The group was founded in 1983 as the umbrella organisation for the European Democrat Union (EDU), Caribbean Democrat Union (CDU), and the Asia Pacific Democrat Union (APDU). Created at the instigation of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and US Vice President George H. W. Bush, the organisation was founded at a joint meeting of the EDU and APDU in London, England, UK. The IDU has several regional affiliates: the Democrat Union of Africa, the Union of Latin American Parties, the Asia Pacific Democrat Union, the Caribbean Democrat Union, the European People's Party, and the European Conservatives and Reformists Party. It also has an affiliated youth wing, the International Young Democrat Union led by Australian Simon Breheny, and an affiliated women's wing in the International Women's Democrat Union. IDU was founded in London on June 24, 1983. The founding declaration was signed by 19 persons: