William Sulzer
When the peoples of all the nations are capable of governing themselves through an International Parliament then and not till then, will war cease to burden man and universal peace become a thing accomplished.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, / Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be; …Till the war-drum throbbed no longer, and the battle-flags were furl’d / In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world. There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe, / And the kindly earth shall slumber, lapt in universal law.
Appeal for a Parliamentary Assembly presented at the United Nations in New York
President of the UN General Assembly receives campaign representative
Over 1,400 current and former lawmakers from more than 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.” The appeal and
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| Mr. Bummel and Mr. Lykketoft at UN headquarters |
| Image: UN |
the list of signatories was presented to the President of the 70th UN General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, at UN headquarters in New York.
The document states that “in order 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.” The appeal says that “people must be more effectively and directly included into the activities of the United Nations and its international organizations” and calls for “a gradual implementation of democratic participation and representation at the global level.” Originally launched in 2007, the document is still open for endorsements.
Meeting with Mr. Lykketoft on Friday, the coordinator of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Andreas Bummel, explained that the new body could be established by the UN General Assembly without a reform of the UN’s Charter. He said that a parliamentary dimension could help to revitalize the UN’s main body and could enhance the world organization’s democratic legitimacy.
Recently, the Commission on Global Security, Justice & Governance co-chaired by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Nigerian Foreign Minister and former UN Under Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari recommended the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Network in order to overcoming the UN’s democratic deficit.
Endorsement by numerous former UN officials
Prominent supporters of the appeal with ties to the UN include former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Under-Secretary-Generals Shashi Tharoor, Brian Urquhart and Heitor Gurgulino de Souza, former Assistant Secretary-General and former President of Slovenia, Danilo Türk, former Assistant Secretary-General Anders Wijkman, the former commander of the UN mission in Rwanda, Roméo Dallaire, the UN’s former rapporteurs on the right to food, Olivier de Schutter and Jean Ziegler, the former rapporteurs on torture Theo van Boven and Manfred Nowak, and former UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor.
The campaign calls on the UN’s member states to start deliberations on the proposal. Last year, the UN’s rapporteur for the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, Alfred de Zayas, recommended that the UN should further study the matter.
Seminar on a World Parliament arranged in Swedish Riksdagen
Parliamentarians host seminar in Swedish Riksdagen / 3rd Week of Action for a World Parliament concluded
A seminar on the subject of a World Parliament was held in the Parliament of Sweden, Riksdagen. Folke Tersman, professor of practical philosophy at the University of Uppsala and a board member of the Global Challenges Foundation, gave a lecture
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| Folke Tersman addresses the participants |
| Image: CEUNPA |
on how global democracy and a United Nations parliament could help to better deal with global challenges such as climate change.
In his speech, Mr Tersman, among other things, argued that global challenges require global solutions. "We have global common challenges. Then we should also be able to take decisions on sound, common, solutions," he said. A key tool to achieve this would be the gradual development of a parliament within the United Nations, Mr Tersman pointed out. Such a World Parliament would also serve to protect human beings from destructive interests. "Why should all citizens of the world be able to take part in global decision making? Because we are all vulnerable and affected by these decisions, for example on how we should deal with global warming", Mr Tersman stated.
The seminar on October 20th was hosted by members of the Swedish Parliament, representing five different parties from both governing and opposition sides: Said Abdu, Johan Büser, Jens Holm, Annika Lillemets and Rickard Nordin. The hosts of the event are all supporters of the internatinoal appeal for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly.
Third Global Week of Action for a World Parliament
The event in Sweden was part of a third Global Week of Action for a World Parliament celebrated
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| Call for a World Parliament in Rome |
from 15-25 October. The week of action serves to coordinate public activities in support of direct involvement of the world's people in world affairs through an elected body. About 40 smaller and larger events - lectures, meetings, social actions, demonstrations and flash mobs - were arranged in Ahero/Kenya, Buenos Aires, Minnesota, Rome, Tokyo, and many other places around the world.
Top image: Erik de le Reguera
UN Parliament discussed at event at Argentine Council on Foreign Relations
The establishment of a world parliament was discussed at the Argentine Council on International Relations, CARI, last week. The speakers of the meeting were Andreas Bummel, global coordinator of the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly
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| During the event |
| Image: CARI Young Group |
who participated from Germany via teleconference, and - present at CARI - professor Fernando Iglesias, formerly a member of parliament and co-chair of the campaign, as well as former Argentina ambassador Raúl Ricardes. The panel was moderated by Luis Masi from CARI's Young Group and a member of the NGO Democracia Global. With over 40 participants the auditorium in the city of Buenos Aires was filled.
Mr. Bummel introduced the debate by outlining the history of the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly and the most important arguments for the creation of a parliamentary body at the UN as a response to the global democratic deficit. He noted that the world is entering the third democratic transformation in history. The first transformation occured when democracy first emerged in Greek city-states around 400 B.C. The second introduced the principle of democratic representation in large territorial states in the course of the American and French revolutions. Now, in the process of globalization, the next step would be to expand democracy to the global scale. Mr. Bummel argued that the creation of a global legislative body representing the world's citizens was an indispensable step for this.
Mr. Iglesias gave an overview of the apparent contradictions between globalization and the democratic process, noting that democracy was lagging behind and needed to advance to the global scale. Offering a perspective of global political integration, he highlighted the federalist concept introduced by the United States Constitution and the concept of subsidiarity as used today in all national political systems, but not globally. He ended his presentation by stressing that "global problems need global institutional solutions."
Ambassador Raul Ricardes began his presentation with a brief review of the political history of integration processes, noting that regional integration was made possible by decolonization processes. He then focused on the United Nations and its decision-making processes, stressing the importance of the veto right of the permanent members of the Security Council since this was the precondition for collective action supported by the great powers. As an example for a failed attempt Mr. Ricardes referred to the League of Nations and its Council. He concluded with an analysis of the proposal for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, noting that the body would have to be a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly since it was "very hard, if not impossible" to achieve Charter reform. Mr. Ricardes closed his presentation by wondering how decisions of a parliamentary assembly could be enforced, paving the way for a heated discussion between the speakers and questions from the audience.
The event was organized by CARI's Young Group on the occasion of the third Global Week of Action for a World Parliament that was celebrated from 15-25 October. CARI in Argentina is considered one of the most prestigous think tanks on international affairs in Latin-America.
UN Parliament should monitor implementation of Sustainable Development Goals
Campaign statement on the occasion of the UN’s Sustainable Development Summit
On the occasion of the United Nations summit in New York for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, the campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly has called for stronger mechanisms “to maintain momentum and provide the necessary oversight and accountability for the implementation of the post-2015 goals, targets and indicators.”
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| Image: UN |
In particular, the efforts of the UN’s new High Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development should be complemented by a parliamentary body.
The campaign’s representative, Fergus Watt from Canada explained that “in the years ahead it may become more important that the UN system have greater political means to promote accountability in the fulfillment of the SDG commitments. While the SDGs are a significantly improved development framework for the international community, only time will tell whether governments are prepared to act on their commitments. A UN Parliamentary Assembly would be an important tool to promote accountability and keep the development agenda in the public spotlight.”
The campaign argues that adding a parliamentary body of citizen representatives from among the membership of national and regional parliaments to the UN system would be “a powerful mechanism to generate greater accountability and democratic legitimacy in global governance.”
In the pursuit of the Post-2015 goals, such a UN Parliamentary Assembly “would make the activities and decisions of the UN system more widely known, transparent and responsive to the needs of the world’s citizens. Through its hearings, studies, debates, committees and other oversight functions, the assembly would be able to broaden the engagement of various stakeholders.”
To date, the campaign’s international appeal for a UN Parliamentary Assembly has been endorsed by over 1,400 parliamentarians, over 400 NGOs, and over 5,000 individuals including several former heads of state or government, foreign ministers, and former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
Une commission mondiale recommande une assemblée parlementaire de l'ONU
Le rapport de la commission sur la sécurité, la justice et la gouvernance mondiales présenté à La Haye
Outil pour redynamiser les Nations-Unies, le rapport de la commission sur la sécurité, la justice et la gouvernance mondiales qui a été présenté au Palais de la Paix à La
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| Les Co-Présidents de la Commission : L'ancienne Secrétaire d'Etat américaine Madeleine Albright, et l'ancien Ministre nigérian des affaires étrangères Ibrahim Gambari à La Haye |
| Image: globalsecurityjusticegovernance.org |
Haye aujourd'hui recommande la création d'une “réseau parlementaire des Nations-Unies”. Selon le rapport intitulé “Affronter la crise de la gouvernance globale”, un tel nouveau corps parlementaire pourrait constituer une “approche pragmatique afin de renforcer les relations entre l'ONU et les citoyens et surmonter le déficit démocratique de la communauté mondiale”.
Le document montre que ce réseau parlementaire pourrait être établi par l'Assemblée générale des Nations-Unies en vertu de l'article 22 de la Charte de l'ONU. “Cela rassemblerait des parlementaires élus par leurs assemblées législatives nationales, afin de discuter et émettre des avis sur les questions relevant de la gouvernance des Nations-Unies qui concernent les citoyens à travers le monde entier”, indique le rapport. La création de cette assemblée est définie comme “une étape vitale qui peut être franchie à court terme” qui est complémentaire aux efforts sur le long terme en faveur de “la création d'une seconde chambre des Nations-Unies permanente et formellement constituée”. La Commission relève que ce réseau parlementaire se concentrerait “sur le gouvernenance de l'ONU elle-même, et sur la facilitation d'un processus de décision plus responsable et inclusif à un niveau global”.
Le rapport et les conclusions principales de la Commission ont été présentés par ses Co-Présidents, l'ancienne Secrétaire d'Etat américaine Madeleine Albright et l'ancien Ministre nigérian des affaires étrangères et Sous-Secrétaire des Nations-Unies pour les Affaires Politiques Ibrahim Gambari. Selon la Secrétaire Albright, le monde a besoin “d'outils de gouvernance globale plus efficaces, avec différents types d'institutions publiques, privées et mixtes conçues pour les défis du vingt-et-unième siècle”.
Les recommandations mises en évidence pendant la présentation incluent la création d'une “capacité de nouvelle génération des Nations-Unies en matière de médiation des conflits et d'opérations de maintien de la paix”, le renforcement de la responsabilité à “prévenir, protéger et reconstruire”, l'innovation dans le domaine de la gouvernance climatique, l'amélioration de la coordination institutionnelle G20-Nations Unies-Institutions issues des accords de Bretton Woods, l'élargissement du Conseil de Sécurité des Nations-Unies et la diminution du l'usage du droit de veto, ou encore le renforcement de la Court Internationale de Justice.
La Campagne internationale pour une Assemblée Parlementaire des Nations-Unies, un réseau informel de parlementaires et d'organisations de la société civile, a applaudi le soutien de la Commission pour la création d'un Réseau Parlementaire des Nations-Unies. “Soixante-dix ans après la création des Nations-Unies il est grand temps pour une assemblée formelle de l'ONU qui permette aux représentants élus d'être impliqués dans les affaires de l'organisation mondiale, a indiqué le coordinateur de la campagne, Andreas Bummel.
En savoir plus
Télécharger le rapport et les résumés complets ici
Top image: Présentation du rapport au Palais de la Paix, globalsecurityjusticegovernance.org
Traduction : François Leray
United Nations Association of Sweden supports a UN Parliamentary Assembly
Decision adopted at Svenska FN-förbundet's congress in Göteborg
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| Aleksander Gabelic |
| Image: Jesper Prytz |
At its national congress from June 13-14, the United Nations Association of Sweden, UNA-Sweden, decided to express support for the "proposal that a democratic UN Parliament should be established and gradually developed." The decision refers to the call of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, UNPA. UNA-Sweden is an umbrella organization supported by some 130 national civil society organizations. It enjoys the support of 7,000 individual members organized in over 100 local chapters.
After the congress in Göteborg, the chairman of UNA-Sweden, Aleksander Gabelic, a former member of the Swedish Parliament, commented that "UNA Sweden wants to see a stronger role for global civil society and NGOs within the UN system. Therefore we also support the establishment and gradual development of a democratic UN Parliament."
The Swedish coordinator of the international campaign for a UNPA, Petter Ölmunger, welcomed the decision as a "very important step in the efforts to widen and strengthen the support for a World Parliament within Swedish civil society." Mr Ölmunger, who is also an active member of UNA-Sweden, further stated that "the United Nations should be a role model for democracy in the world. Only in this way the organization can become as legitimate and effective as we urgently need it to be, facing the great global challenges of our time. I was very happy to see that UNA-Sweden and its congress shares this conviction."
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| Petter Ölmunger |
| Image: Jesper Prytz |
At its congress in Buenos Aires in 2006, the World Federation of United Nations Associations, WFUNA, adopted a resolution calling for the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly.
Rising support in Sweden
In the course of this year, the number of Swedish Members of Parliament who endorse the proposal of a UN Parliamentary Assembly has increased to now 38. Mr Ölmunger pointed out that this constitutes more than 10 percent of the total 349 members of the Riksdagen. Furthemore, four Swedish Members of the European Parliament and three ministers in the current Swedish government are among the supporters.
On October 20, 2015, the UNPA Campaign and the Swedish network for Global democracy will arrange two seminars in Stockholm that will discuss the need of a World Parliament to handle global climate change and the environmental crisis. One of the seminars will take place in the premises of the Swedish parliament and will be hosted by Members of Parliament from five different parties.
More information
Website of the Swedish network Global demokrati
Top image: Congress of Svenska FN-förbundet in Göteborg, facebook.com/FNBlekinge
Former lawmakers from across Europe support a UN Parliamentary Assembly
At a meeting in the European Parliament in Brussels former lawmakers from across Europe adopted a declaration on "the challenges of democracy in the age of globalization."
Delegates from 15 countries who represented the members of the European Association of Former Parliamentarians of the member states of the Council of Europe (FP-AP) proposed, among other things,
that States support the creation of a Parliamentary Assembly of the United Nations e.g. supervising the major financial institutions, IMF and World Bank, so as to promote progress of world governance along a democratic track. There must be a clear and transparent monitoring of the role played by the WTO.The meeting was held on 13 November 2014.
Le Gouvernement de Catalogne soutient une Assemblée Parlementaire des Nations-Unies
Les représentants officiels expriment leur soutient suite à la résolution du Parlement Catalan
Le Gouvernement de la communauté autonome espagnole de Catalogne soutient la campagne internationale pour le création d’une Assemblée Parlementaire des Nations-Unies. Lors d’une cérémonie officielle, le Secrétaire Catalan pour les Affaires Etrangères et Européennes, Roger Albinyana, et le Directeur Général Catalan pour les Affaires Multilatérales et Européennes,
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| Le Directeur Général Catalan Manuel Manonelles et le Secrétaire Roger Albinyana avec le représentant de la CEUNPA Joan Marc Simon (à partir de la gauche) |
| Image: WDGpa |
Manuel Manonelles, ont signé un document déclarant l’approbation du Gouvernement.
Cette approbation fait suite à une résolution qui a été adoptée par le parlement Catalan le 26 septembre l’année dernière. La résolution appelait le gouvernement de la communauté autonome à soutenir les efforts internationaux et à défendre la création d’une Assemblée Parlementaire des Nations-Unies au niveau de l’Union européenne et dans le cadre des activités internationales du gouvernement.
Le cérémonie à Barcelone le 3 février a été suivie par le représentant de la campagne pour l’Espagne, Joan Marc Simon. « Nous espérons maintenant porter ce sujet au niveau de l’Etat et convaincre le Gouvernement espagnol de s’associer à la cause de la démocratie supranationale, », a indiqué Mr. Simon.
L’appel international pour une Assemblée Parlementaire de l’ONU est entre autres soutenue à ce jour par plus de 1.400 anciens et actuels parlementaires dans plus de 100 pays. Dans une résolution adoptée en 2011, le Parlement Européen a exprimé son soutien à cette proposition. Il y a deux semaines, une résolution en ce sens a été déposée au Parlement en Islande.
Le Parlement de Catalogne est le deuxième Parlement régional à approuver officiellement la création d’une Assemblée Parlementaires des Nations-unies. En 2012, le Congrès de l’Etat de Jalisco, un état fédéré mexicain, a également exprimé son soutien.
En savoir plus
image en haut : Le Parlement de Catalogne à Barcelone, barcelonaturisme.com
Traduction : François Leray