Mátyás Eörsi: UN's promotion of democracy would be more credible if a UN Parliamentary Assembly existed
 

Mátyás Eörsi: UN's promotion of democracy would be more credible if a UN Parliamentary Assembly existed

14. Juni 2013

Mátyás Eörsi was a long-time member of the Hungarian parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Mátyás Eörsi was a long-time member of the Hungarian parliament and of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Mátyás Eörsi, the Secretary-General of the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy based in Warsaw, argues that the UN's efforts in promoting democracy around the world would be much more credible if the UN itself would democratize itself through the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly.

We're delighted to publish his following statement:

The mission of the UN is protecting and maintaining international peace and stability through promoting democracy in every corner of the globe — as the UN itself declares. Indeed, much needs to be done on all continents so that democracy prevails possibly in all countries in the world. In consequence, the endeavours of the UN in promoting democracy deserve the assistance and applaud of all democrats.

There are many definitions of the term „democracy”, but there is a general consensus here, that parliamentary oversight of each and every executive power is an indispensable element of democracy. In all countries that are called democratic, the elected representatives exercise the oversight of the executive.

The UN is an intergovernmental organization that lacks such democratic oversight. The Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, the Council of Europe, even a military organization, the NATO, are also intergovernmental organizations, but they are all, in a way, under democratic control by the elected parliamentarians who work together in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, PACE, and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

The UN does not have such parliamentary body. The UN, lacking this indispensable element of democracy, could become significantly more authentic and credible in promoting parliamentary democracy around the world, if it, too, were under parliamentary control exercised by a UN Parliamentary Assembly. In this way, there is a clear and strong connection between national and international democratization.

More information on the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy is available on their website.

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Tags: Hungary