New German government urged to develop proposals for a UN Parliamentary Assembly

16. December 2013

United Nations Association of Germany adopts resolution, supports recommendations of the UN's Independent Expert on Democratization

Following the German federal elections, the prestigious United Nations Association of Germany urged the new German government and the parliament to develop proposals for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. A resolution adopted by the association's general meeting in Frankfurt am Main states that a parliamentary assembly would serve the purpose of introducing "parliamentary participation and oversight at the level of the United Nations."

The chairperson of UNA-Germany and former parliamentarian

Detlef Dzembritzki, chair of UNA-Germany, supported the resolution
Bild: DGVN

Detlef Dzembritzki said that a parliamentary body at the UN is required in order "to improve the democratic quality of the world organization." The association's vice-chair and re-elected federal representative Jürgen Klimke emphasized that in his opinion, the German Bundestag should deal with this question in the new legislative term and that it would be possible to build on a meeting that was already held in June. Ekkehard Griep, the other vice-chair of UNA-Germany, stressed that the point is that the German government and parliament make a serious assessment of the proposal.

The resolution of UNA-Germany at the same time endorsed two recommendations put forward earlier this year by the UN's Independent Expert on a Democratic and Equitable Order, Alfred de Zayas. He recommended that the Human Rights Council should commission a study on the question of a UN Parliamentary Assembly and that the UN General Assembly should consider convening a conference on the matter.

Request has been raised by UNA-Germany since 2005

The creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly was already supported by UNA-Germany on the occasion of the German federal elections in 2005 and 2009. In 2011 the association joined around 40 other German non-governmental organizations and numerous personalities in sending a joint open letter to the German chancellor and foreign minister that endorsed a resolution of the European Parliament that included a call for a UN Parliamentary Assembly.

The international umbrella organization of UNA-Germany, the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), adopted a resolution in support of a UN Parliamentary Assembly at its World Congress in Buenos Aires in 2006.

The general meeting of UNA-Germany was held on 7 December 2013. At a ceremony the day before, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal of Honor was awarded to the former chief prosecutor of the Nuremberg Tribunal Benjamin Ferencz and to the International Criminal Court which was represented by prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

Read more

29 October 2013: Expert on democracy suggests United Nations conference on a World Parliamentary Assembly

16 September 2013: UN expert recommends study on a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Egypt voices support

14 June 2013: Subcommittee on the United Nations considers the question of a UN Parliamentary Assembly

20 September 2011: Open letter: German government urged to support creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly

Top image: Ceremony on the day before the general meeting, by UNA-Germany

Tags: Germany