Manifesto for Global Democracy presented in Paris
On Tuesday last week, 31 January, the Manifesto for Global Democracy was presented in Paris at an event held at the university Sciences-Po which was attended by around 150 people including students of political sciences and international relations and several civil society activists.
The panelists during the discussion
The speakers included Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the United Nations; Mr. Pascal Lamy, former director of the World Trade Organization; and professors Bertrand Badie (Sciences-Po), Fernando Iglesias (Spinelli Chair, CUIA), Alain Touraine (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales) and Heikki Patomäki (University of Helsinki). The discussion focused on global challenges and how institutions that are responsible to deal with them could be structured in a democratic way.
In the beginning, Fernando Iglesias introduced the manifesto and reported on the previous four presentations that were made in London, Rome, San Sebastián and Buenos Aires during 2012 and 2013. Professor Patomäki referred to different proposals for achieving a more democratic global order, pointing out in particular the creation of a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations. Alain Touraine stressed that an initiative like this should have a universal character while Pascal Lamy raised doubts about the possibility of achieving democratic representation on a global scale. Mr. Boutros-Ghali related the initiative of the manifesto with the necessary democratic reform of the international system and the UN itself according to the agenda for democratization that he developed during his term as UN Secretary-General. The host, Bertrand Badie, closed the panel by stressing the importance of the concept of global democracy in order to overcome the limits of the global debate that is currently dominated by the controversy between neoliberalism and populist nationalism.
Among other things, the manifesto includes support for "a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly as the embryo of a future World Parliament." The next presentation of the manifesto will take place in the last week of March in Helsinki.
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Presentation of the manifesto in Rome in 2012
Publication of the manifesto in June 2012
Appeal for a global parliamentary assembly presented to UN representative in Brussels
Lawmakers from 100 countries urge the United Nations to establish a parliamentary assembly
More than 1,250 sitting and former lawmakers from over 100 countries and hundreds of renowned personalities from politics, science, cultural life and civil society have signed an international appeal urging the United Nations and its member states "to establish a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations." On Thursday, the appeal and the list of signatories was officially presented to the representative
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| Jo Leinen, Antonio Vigilante, and Andreas Bummel |
| Image: CEUNPA |
of the United Nations Secretary-General at the European institutions in Brussels, Antonio Vigilante.
The appeal that is also endorsed by around 400 professors from 50 countries states that "to cope with major challenges such as social disparity, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the threat of terrorism or the endangerment of global ecosystems, all human beings must engage in collaborative efforts." It says that "people must be more effectively and directly included into the activities of the United Nations and its international organizations" and recommends "a gradual implementation of democratic participation and representation at the global level." The appeal was originally launched in 2007 and is open for endorsement on a continuing basis.
During the presentation, the co-chair of the international campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly and member of the European Parliament, Jo Leinen, pointed out that "the daily lives of the world’s citizens are increasingly shaped by economic, social and political forces that transcend national boundaries." A UN Parliamentary Assembly would "enable citizen representatives to be directly involved in global political deliberations, agenda-setting, and decision-making."
The Secretary-General of the campaign, Andreas Bummel, stressed that the UN would benefit from the inclusion of elected representatives as it would bring the world organization closer to the world's citizens. He recalled that the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly has been endorsed by the European Parliament, the Pan-African Parliament, and the Latin-American Parliament, among others.
Proposal for a World Parliamentary Assembly presented at Future of Human Rights Forum
New Parliamentary Assembly would establish its own Human Rights Committee, monitor violations, propose remedies and offer advisory services and technical assistance, experts suggest
The proposal for a World Parliamentary Assembly was presented at a panel on new international structures held at the Future of Human Rights Forum in Geneva on 10 December 2013, the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The representative of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Andreas Bummel, who introduced the proposal, stressed that by contrast to all major UN bodies, including the Human Rights Council,
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| Panel on new international structures at the Future of Human Rights Forum |
| Image: CEUNPA |
such a new assembly would be composed of elected representatives and not career diplomats. According to Mr. Bummel, a World Parliamentary Assembly would set up its own parliamentary Human Rights Committee to monitor compliance with human rights and to inquire into specific situations. "The dynamics in such a parliamentary human rights committee would be completely different from what we experience at the Human Rights Council," the expert expects. This government-independent structure would complement existing UN bodies and could help "to boost human rights worldwide."
It was pointed out that the overall purpose of the new assembly would be to give a voice to "the world's citizens." "For the first time in human history there would be a political body to represent humanity as a whole," Mr. Bummel said, stressing that the UN was an organization of member states.
The UN's Independent Expert on democratization, Alfred de Zayas, who moderated the panel on new international structures, said that the creation of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly is aimed "at empowering world citizens and at giving them direct participation in the political decisions that affect them. Democracy lives from consultation and participation and UN Parliamentary Assembly can meaningfully advance this goal."
In the opening speech of the conference Jan Martenson, former Under-Secretary of the United Nations for Human Rights and former Director-General at the UN Office in Geneva, stressed that the idea of a world parliament was already endorsed in the late 18th century and although it has been a "hot potato" for long, the time for such ideas had come.
The conference chair John Pace, a former high official at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and organizer of the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993, pointed out that the proposal for a World Parliamentary Assembly and its potential to strengthen human rights worldwide deserved serious consideration. The President of the Future of Human Rights Forum, Eric Sottas, stressed that the forum would pursue the subject further.
Other projects discussed at the conference which was attended by around 250 participants included the establishment of a World Court on Human Rights, the elaboration of an International Bill of Rights which would encompass all existing treaties since the universal declaration, the eradicating Ecocide initiative, and achieving a world without torture.
Website of the Future of Human Rights Forum
New German government urged to develop proposals for a UN Parliamentary Assembly
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
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| 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.
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16 September 2013: UN expert recommends study on a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Egypt voices support
Top image: Ceremony on the day before the general meeting, by UNA-Germany
Political Platform of the Young European Federalists calls for a UN Parliamentary Assembly
JEF action for a Europe without borders in Brussels with Jo Leinen MEP who is also Co-Chair of the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly
Over 160 young delegates from sections of the Young European Federalists (JEF) coming from all over Europe gathered in Paris on 1-3 November 2013 for the organization's XXII. European Congress.
Seven months ahead of the European elections, JEF adopted a renewed political platform stating the organization's demands for the future of Europe. In a section on "Federalism in Europe and the World," the new political platform includes support for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly:
A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly should also be established as a consultative body within the United Nations system as a voice of the citizens. A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) for the first time would give citizen representatives, not only states, a direct and influential role in global policy. The assembly would not replace existing UN bodies but would be an additional means to integrate parliamentarians more effectively into the shaping of globalization. As a transitional step until direct elections become practical, the UN Parliamentary Assembly could consist of delegates from national and possibly regional parliaments, reflecting their political diversity. The UNPA would therefore include members of minority parties whose opinions are often not represented in the United Nations.JEF is a pan-European network of young people established in 1972. The network now includes 31 official member sections and about 30,000 activists in over 35 countries. According to the organization's statutes, the goal of JEF is the creation of a democratic European federation as a crucial ingredient for peace, a guarantee for a more free, just and democratic society and a first step towards a world federation.
The congress in Paris re-elected Pauline Gessant as the organization's president.
JEF website
JEF online magazine "The New Federalist"
Now is the time: The European Union should support a UN Parliamentary Assembly
Last month, the UN's independent expert on democracy, Alfred de Zayas, told the organistion's General Assembly that the UN should convene an international conference to debate the establishment of a World Parliamentary Assembly. Now it's the time for the EU to take a stand and support the proposal, write Jo Leinen and Andreas Bummel.
Andreas Bummel (left) and Jo Leinen (right) at a meeting in Strasbourg in 2011
The European Union, it is said, is a value-based community. One of the core values of this unique supranational community is democracy. The EU cares about promoting freedom and democracy not only within its own borders, but worldwide. An important step was the establishment of the European Endowment for Democracy last year to supports pro-democracy efforts in transition countries. The problem is that in our time of unprecedented and increasing global interdependence democratization is no longer a matter that can be limited to the level of the nation-state. Decision-making in global forums and institutions has a strong impact on national policies in all sorts of areas but it is still in the exclusive purview of government executives. This undermines the influence and weight of parliaments everywhere and negates important democratic principles such as checks and balances.
The EU's own experience shows that growing interdependence and cooperation makes it necessary to develop democracy beyond the level of the nation-state. Although it is always stressed that there is no global integration process that could be compared to what has been done in Europe, the reality looks otherwise. The simple example of the financial system shows that global integration already exists. It is true, however, that the process of globalization is incomplete and hardly under any meaningful political control. There is a widespread denial to acknowledge this and to aspire the obvious, namely to renovate global political institutions so they are actually able to address the issues of our global civilization. In many political areas of vital importance such as climate change mitigation, disarmament, eradication of poverty, financial governance, or world trade, it is obvious that the existing international institutions achieve too little, too slowly.
Despite its vast treasure of experience and its support of democracy, the EU so far has not stood out with regard to the democratization of the United Nations. One suggestion that has been put forward by the European Parliament again and again since 1994 is the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, UNPA. Most recently on 8 June 2011, the European Parliament passed the recommendation to the EU Council "to advocate the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly within the UN system in order to increase the democratic nature, the democratic accountability and the transparency of global governance and to allow for greater public participation in the activities of the UN." Five months later, responding to a formal parliamentary question, the EU Council noted that it was aware of the recommendation but that it does not have a position on the matter. As far as we can tell, until now it still has no position. What is more, the Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, did not follow up on the matter and neither has the EU Council's President Herman Van Rompuy. At the very least, the European Parliament's proposal should have been mentioned in one of the speeches at the United Nations, now that the EU has a special status at the General Assembly.
A UNPA could begin modestly as a largely consultative body attached to the UN, composed of national or optionally of directly elected parliamentarians. As the European Parliament's President Martin Schulz pointed out recently on the occasion of the 5th International Meeting on a UNPA in the European Parliament, the European Parliament may serve as a model for how a UN Parliamentary Assembly could develop over time: "What once began as an advisory body composed of national parliamentarians is a directly elected legislature today, even if the development is still ongoing."
Just as the European Parliament was decisive in pushing European integration and democratization ahead, a UNPA could be instrumental to finally bring about real reforms at the UN and to "achieve democratic control of globalization," as former UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali said. The prospect of achieving a breakthrough in UN reform in particular should make this project interesting to many governments once they look into it seriously. In fact, the UN's Independent Expert on democratization, Alfred de Zayas, has now recommended to the UN to take steps to study the UNPA proposal, either at an international conference or through the Advisory Committee of the UN's Human Rights Council. Speaking at the UN Mr. de Zayas stated that "if the United Nations General Assembly is to be revitalized and strengthened, it also needs to be made more democratic and representative. Complementing the General Assembly with a parliamentary body could be a key to achieving other reforms to the United Nations system."
This is the moment for the European Union and its governments to wake up and to seize the initiative. With the necessary political will it is possible to overcome the key challenges that are connected with such a complex endeavor like the creation of a global parliamentary body. The democratic countries need to assume the responsibility that the project goes into the right direction. It would be highly deplorable and against the expressed wish of the European Parliament, if the EU would continue to remain inactive.
Jo Leinen is a member of the European Parliament and co-chair of the advisory group of the campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. Andreas Bummel is the campaign's secretary-general. They are working on a book discussing the creation of a world parliament. This opinion piece was originally published on 6 November 2013 by EurActiv.com.
Maltese foreign minister calls on Commonwealth to support a UN Parliamentary Assembly
Statement at a meeting of Commonwealth foreign ministers
At the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka, the foreign minister of Malta, George Vella, urged the governments of the Commonwealth member states and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to consider backing the campaign for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly.
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| Maltese foreign minister George Vella |
| Image: Parliament of Malta |
According to a report of Malta Today, foreign minister Vella made a statement to this regard during a meeting for Commonwealth foreign ministers and argued that "one of democracy's pillars is direct representation in decision making bodies."
Underlining the fact that the Commonwealth includes 54 nations, Vella said according to Malta Today that these countries "could influence the 194-member UN and push through the establishment of an assembly which would strengthen representation and parliamentary diplomacy."
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CHOGM in Sri Lanka was held from 10-17 November 2013. Up to 3,500 delegates from the Commonwealth member states attended. The Commonwealth heads of government unanimously agreed for Malta to host the 2015 meeting.
In a statement released on 4 July this year, Mr. Vella said that he agrees with "the setting up of a Parliamentary Assembly for the United Nations, as I am a firm believer in parliamentary democracy, and believe that such an assembly will be the embodiment of the whole concept of representative governance and the epitome of what we mean by democratic empowerment of elected representatives."
The Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly is supported by around 800 members of parliament and numerous distinguished personalities from over 100 countries. Mr. Vella is the first sitting foreign minister in recent times to call for the creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly. In a report presented to the UN General Assembly last month, the UN's expert on democracy, Alfred de Zayas, recommended to the UN member states to consider convening an international conference to study the issue.
Top image: Opening ceremony of CHOMG 2013 in Sri Lanka, by Taskforce Secretariat for CHOGM 2013
Global Week of Action: New citizens movement for a World Parliament takes first step
With the Global Week of Action for a World Parliament that was held for the first time this year from 17-24 October, a new citizens movement has started to emerge that supports the creation of a directly elected global assembly. The week's announcement that was hammered out by an ad-hoc international group of activists noted that despite critical global problems, the world's citizens are left out of global decision-making. "For global matters that affect each and every person on the planet, there exists no elected world parliament," the statement noted. The week of action's slogan was "Let the People Decide - World Parliament Now!"
Collection of pictures taken during the week of action around the world
During the week of action, panel discussions and workshops on the issue of a world parliament were organized in Barcelona, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Forlì in Italy and in London.
Group pictures with banners and signs in support of the week of action were sent from Buenos Aires (Argentina), Sydney (Australia), Brussels (Belgium), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Vancouver and Winnipeg (Canada), Strasbourg (France), Berlin and Münster (Germany), Rajkot (India), Utrecht (Netherlands), El Ma'asara (Palestine), San Lorenzo (Paraguay), Gothenburg (Sweden), Bangkok (Thailand), Kampala (Uganda) as well as from Washington D.C. and New York (USA).
Italy stood out as the country with by far the most activities. Here people came together in Bologna, Chioggia, Florence, Genova, La Spezia, Novara, Pescara, Rome, Salsomaggiore, and Verona to hold banners calling for a "World Parliament Now!"
In Palestine, demonstrators marched through the town of El Ma'asara until they were stopped by police forces. Further activities included information stands in Aachen (Germany) or Gothenburg (Sweden). Individual pictures from around the world were posted on Facebook.
Public action in Genova, Italy
The 5th International Meeting on a UN Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels that was attended by around seventy participants from some 30 countries served as a kick-off event (see our report). It was covered by IPS and EurActiv. In Italy, Spain and Sweden, there was also local press coverage.
Joan Marc Simon, who is a member of the group in Barcelona from where the idea of the week of action originated, said in an interview with us that "the action went very well." He stressed that "it was the first time that something like this has ever been organized on a global scale."
Petter Ölmunger who organized the event in Gothenburg, Sweden, stated that "it felt great to be part of this first ever week of action and to see that around the world, in places like Kampala, São Paulo and Dehli, there are people who, just like me, want to have a world parliament now."
According to Vivian Davidson, organizer of the event in Vancouver, Canada, "we came together to raise awareness for the dire need to find solutions to problems which are now global in scope yet haven't been addressed by today's present nation-state system."
At a conference call on Sunday, it was unanimously agreed to carry out a second Global Week of Action for a World Parliament next year from 17-26 October 2014. "We are once again on planning mode to organize a similar event next year. The time to create a world parliament is long overdue," Vivian Davidson stated.
The week of action is promoted by the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. The campaign's Secretary-General Andreas Bummel said that "the week of action is an excellent way to instigate public discussion on the proposal of a world parliament and to make it clear that there is popular support for this. This will help to create the necessary political will to actually democratize global governance through a citizen-elected assembly. It's only beginning and no doubt it will gain more and more momentum."
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Expert on democracy suggests United Nations conference on a World Parliamentary Assembly
UN's Independent expert Alfred de Zayas presents report to the United Nations General Assembly, highlights proposal for a World Parliamentary Assembly
In a report presented to the United Nations in New York on Monday, the UN's Independent Expert on "the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order", Alfred de Zayas, suggested that the world organization should consider convening "a conference to discuss promising initiatives such as the creation of a World Parliamentary Assembly and a World Court of Human Rights." Quoting former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Independent Expert wrote that "A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly – a global body of elected representatives – could invigorate our institutions of global governance with unprecedented democratic legitimacy, transparency and accountability."
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| Independent Expert Alfred de Zayas during the press conference at UN headquarters in New York |
| Image: UN |
Speaking at the UN General Assembly's main social, humanitarian and cultural body, the Third Committee, the Independent Expert introduced 35 recommendations on international and national democracy, as well as studies to be carried out on topics ranging from self-determination to issues related to indigenous peoples, war and peace, and civil society. The suggestion that the UN consider establishment of a United Nations or World Parliamentary Assembly was also one of the main topics raised at a subsequent press conference at UN headquarters. According to a UN report, Mr de Zayas said that in order for global decision-making to be genuinely representative, the establishment of a world parliamentary assembly was "imperative."
"Taking the temperature of world public opinon"
The expert, who is mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, said that a UN Parliamentary Assembly would ensure the inclusive and open participation of parliamentarians from all states. The assembly, he said, would also serve as a platform for the participation of representatives of indigenous peoples, unrepresented peoples and those living under occupation. Although the parliamentary assembly would not have legislative powers, it would render the United Nations more open and responsive to the needs of the world’s citizens by facilitating participation by all stakeholders in UN decision-making.
During the press conference, the Independent Expert recalled that the idea of an elected world parliament was already supported by Nobel laureates such as Bertha von Suttner, Albert Einstein, Shimon Peres, and others. However, he said that at this point the proposal was not to give the assembly legislative powers but that "there is a way of taking the temperature of world public opinion if you have directly elected parliamentarians in a world parliamentary assembly. They may not have the power to legislate but at least have the power to say what people are thinking and you don't always have it in the General Assembly. In the General Assembly you have governments, not citizen representatives" Mr de Zayas stated.
The Independent Expert suggested that the creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly could be an important element of UN reform in general. Stressing the need for the democratization of the world organization, he noted that, "if the United Nations General Assembly is to be revitalized and strengthened, it also needs to be made more democratic and representative. Complementing the General Assembly with a parliamentary body could be a key to achieving other reforms to the United Nations system."
International campaign welcomes recommendation
The Secretary-General of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Andreas Bummel, welcomed the recommendation of the independent expert that the UN convene an international conference on the proposal. "Mr de Zayas has rightfully pointed out that the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly was already suggested in 1949," he said. "The time has come that the UN needs to deal with it."
Mr. Bummel stressed that over 1,000 lawmakers as well as hundreds of professors and distinguished individuals supported the campaign's appeal for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. Referring to the "Global Week of Action for a World Parliament" that was organized from 17-24 October this year for the first time, he noted that popular support for a global parliamentary body was growing. During the "week of action," citizens around the world had called for a "World Parliament Now!"
Last week, an international conference of the campaign convened in the European Parliament included a special consultation with Mr. de Zayas. In a final declaration, the conference called on "the United Nations and its member states to advance the necessary processes for the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations." The document says that a UN Parliamentary Assembly "is a vital component to strengthen democratic participation in and the democratic legitimacy of the United Nations as well as other intergovernmental organizations such as the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization."
"If the UN decides to look into the proposal of a UN Parliamentary Assembly, this needs to be done in a transparent, open and inclusive manner," Mr. Bummel stated. "A UN-sponsored international conference or even a workshop on a UN Parliamentary Assembly should involve parliamentarians, civil society representatives, and independent experts," he stressed.
Documents
Full report of the Independent Expert to the UN General Assembly
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28 October 2013: UNDPI report on the press conference
28 October 2013: UN Webcast of the press conference
16 September 2013: UN expert recommends study on a UN Parliamentary Assembly
Top image: Flags in front of the UN in New York, by United Nations
UN's Independent Expert Alfred de Zayas: "Time for a World Parliamentary Assembly"
Alfred de Zayas. Picture: European Parliament
The 5th International Meeting on a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly that was held in the European Parliament in Brussels on 16/17 October 2013 (see our report here) included a special consultation with the UN's Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order, Alfred de Zayas. After the meeting, the Independent Expert issued the following press release on 18 October 2013:
Time for a World Parliamentary Assembly
The Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order, Alfred de Zayas, welcomes the Brussels Declaration of 17 October 2013, adopted upon the conclusion of a Conference hosted by the European Parliament on the modalities of establishing a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly designed to give greater space to civil society and make global decision-making on matters such as peace, the environment, global-warming, fisheries, and the common heritage of humankind genuinely representative of the views of the world citizenry and not only of governments.
In a Welcome message for the 5th International Meeting on a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, observed: “The European Parliament may serve as a model for how this global purpose of a UN Parliamentary Assembly could develop over time. What once began as an advisory body composed of national parliamentarians is a directly elected legislature today ... we are delighted that the example of the European Parliament is inspiring and encouraging the efforts for democratizing the UN system and global governance.”
At a panel discussion moderated by Jo Leinen MEP (SPD) the Independent Expert noted that “Participation is a hallmark of democratic governance, entailing a measure of timely consultation so as to legitimize the exercise of governmental power.” He continued: “The right to participation, however, is not a political panacea, a guarantee of social justice or a recipe for peace. While majority rule is an expression of democracy, it may entail a form of populism that disregards the rights of women, indigenous, minorities, migrants, disabled persons, vulnerable groups and others, and therefore results in inequities. Accordingly, the right of participation must be exercised prudently, within the context of the rule of law, and include human rights safeguards.“
The Independent Expert recalled the important publication by former UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali An Agenda for Democratization noting that “If democratization is the most reliable way to legitimize and improve national governance, it is also the most reliable way to legitimize and improve international organizations”.
Participants at the conference, including several members of the European Parliament, observed that democratization at the international level entails rendering the UN more open and responsive to the needs of the planet’s population by facilitating participation by all stakeholders in decision-making.
Since 2007 the campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly has been endorsed by more than 1000 members of parliaments and numerous other stakeholders hailing from over 100 countries. The fundamental purpose of the Assembly will be to give the world’s citizens a voice at the United Nations through more direct representation. Delegates would be accountable to their constituencies and not to their governments.
The Independent Expert added that “a World Parliamentary Assembly functioning outside the United Nations, or a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly set up as a subsidiary body of the General Assembly pursuant to article 22 of the UN Charter, could start initially as a consultative body and gradually develop into a legislative assembly.”
The Brussels Declaration stipulates inter alia that “Global problems require global solutions. The daily lives of the world’s citizens are increasingly shaped by economic, social and political forces that transcend national boundaries and demonstrate a growing need for more inclusive, effective and transparent global governance.”
The Independent Expert concluded that such an Assembly should be inclusive and open for participation of parliamentarians of all UN Member States and observer States, and also provide for the participation of representatives of indigenous peoples, unrepresented peoples and peoples living under occupation. It is generally acknowledged that there is need for reform and democratization of the United Nations and its institutions. “If the United Nations General Assembly is to be revitalized and strengthened, it also needs to be made more democratic and representative. Complementing it with a parliamentary body could be a key to achieve this goal.” Accordingly, in his report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/24/38) the Independent Expert recommended that the Council conduct a study on the added value of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly and on the modalities of establishing such a body.
(end of press release)