Nnimmo Bassey

Intergovernmental summits have proven to be ineffective, too ineffective, in addressing the challenges of climate change, the loss of biodiversity or environmental protection. Negotiators are trapped in narrow national interests as well as the interests of corporations on their national delegations. The lowest common denominator negotiated by the world's governments is not enough. It is indeed time to have the world's citizens heard through an elected UN Parliamentary Assembly.

Claudia Kissling

It is remarkable that major international organizations do not yet possess any formal parliamentary organ, not even in an advisory capacity. In particular, this is the case with regard to the UN, the WTO, the World Bank and the IMF. A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly would contribute significantly to overcoming an ever-growing legitimacy gap at the international level.

Benjamin Cardin

To the extent that the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly would bring more transparency, oversight and effective governance to the Secretariat and other structures of the United Nations, I would support its establishment.

Andrew Strauss

Today democracy has become the touchstone for legitimate governance at the local, provincial and national levels. Perhaps the international system's greatest anomaly in our age of globalization is that it is not yet organized along democratic lines. It is time for a global parliamentary assembly.

Eva Högl

Democracy is only complete if elected representatives take part in decision-making. That's why a parliamentary assembly also needs to be created for international organizations. It needs to be vested with adequate powers and shouldn't be a mere talking shop.

Mario Capanna

The time is right to put into practice the principle "That which concerns everyone must be decided by everyone." The Security Council – with the five permanent members’ power of veto – more often than not serves only to block decisions adverse to those five, or even only one of them. Where really is democracy in the world today? We need a World Parliament which effectively represents all the peoples of the Earth.

Lloyd Axworthy

Globalization has transformed the relationship between the individual and the world community, and made necessary the need for practical measures to democratize global governance. A UN Parliamentary Assembly would be an important step in the right direction.

Anne Peters

The establishment of parliamentary assemblies in the Bretton Woods Institutions, the WTO, and the UN seems worth trying as a first and relatively modest building block of a democratization of global governance.

Mike Moore

The trend of the globalization of public policy issues will continue and cannot be ignored. It is necessary to build democratic principles into global governance. The creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly composed of national legislators could be part of the solution.

Uri Avnery

I can imagine that a democratic world parliament comes into being and that this world parliament tackles the problems which actually should already be handled today: Environmental pollution, the development of the economical and ecological conditions for living together, or the prevention of war. We need world laws today.