UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomes initiative for UN Parliament

At a meeting with the Commission on Foreign Affairs of the Swiss National Council on Monday in New York, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has welcomed the idea of a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN (UNPA). According to media reports, however, Annan also referred to difficulties such a body would entail. He also expressed doubts whether the governments in the United Nations would be interested in establishing a parliamentary body. Before the meeting, Swiss deputy Andi Gross had called for more say of parliaments at the UN in a message delivered to the General Assembly. The proposal to establish a UNPA was put forward more than a year ago in an open letter of over 100 Swiss deputies addressed to Annan.