Together 2030 civil society coalition endorses a UN Parliamentary Assembly

Position paper published ahead of the High Level Political Forum in July

According to Together 2030, an international coalition of more than 700 civil society organizations, over three years into the implementation of the United Nations' Agenda 2030, "stakeholder engagement remains limited" and "focused efforts to leave no one behind remain insufficient, in terms of policy design, implementation and review."

This is one of the conclusions of a position paper that the Together 2030 coalition published this week ahead of the United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) that will be held in New York from July 9 to 18 under the theme of "Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality." The paper includes a set of recommendations on each of the six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are under review this year.

The civil society initiative suggests that "in order to ensure that empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality is achieved in a way that also promotes development and protects the environment, it is important to regard the SDGs as global public goods for which costs as well as figures on interlinkages should be published."

On SDG 16 which calls for effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, among other things, one of five recommendations included in the paper concerns the involvement of parliamentarians in the HLPF and the UN more generally.

According to Together 2030, "National Governments and their Parliaments should be requested to endorse the call for a proposed UN Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) so that citizens of the world can have a direct and legitimate voice at the UN."

The Secretary-General of the international campaign for a UNPA, Andreas Bummel, welcomed the recommendation, adding that a UNPA may also provide new and innovative means of involving civil society organizations and other stakeholders in the UN’s work.

"Through its hearings, studies, debates, committees and other oversight functions, a UNPA would leverage its convening capacity to broaden engagement of various stakeholders. It would bring greater awareness, scrutiny and attention to efforts to fulfill the SDGs," a campaign statement said.

Top image: Session of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on 17 July 2018 in New York, UN Photo 769646/Rick Bajornas

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Creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly discussed at visit in Japan

Argentine legislator Fernando Iglesias proposes a UN Parliamentary Assembly in speech, further talks in Tokyo

The Argentine legislator and Co-President of the World Federalist Movement (WFM), Fernando Iglesias, held the keynote speech at the annual congress of WFM-Japan in Tokyo on May 30th. Mr. Iglesias, who is also a Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Group for a UN Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA), proposed the establishment of a UNPA as a concrete step to counteract the world organization’s democratic deficit.

During meetings in Tokyo Mr. Iglesias suggested that the Japanese Parliamentary Committee for World Federation should consider adopting a resolution in favour of a UNPA to support international efforts. According to the Committee’s Chair, legislator Seishirō Etō, the body’s membership includes more than 100 parliamentarians and its aim is to achieve world federation through the construction and improvement of democratic global governance.

Masaharu Nakagawa, a member of the Japanese House of Representatives, emphasized the importance of achieving democratic governance worldwide and to explore measures necessary to establish a Parliamentary Assembly within the framework of the United Nations. Mr. Iglesias pointed out that once a resolution was passed within the Committee, it could be moved forward by relevant parliamentary committees to subsequently have a resolution adopted by the Japanese National Diet.

According to Tadashi Inuzuka, a former Senator in the House of Councillors of the Diet, Japan’s parliament is the only one that has passed parliamentary resolutions in support of a world federation. Pushing towards a UNPA would be in line with this vision.

The Chairperson of the Japan Commission on Global Governance, Mr. Sukehiro Hasegawa, suggested that Article 109 of the UN Charter could be activated to start the process of reviewing the UN Charter and restructure the United Nations to include a Parliamentary Assembly. He advocated not only the creation of a UNPA but also the incorporation of the G20 into the United Nations system. He argued that it would not only give legitimacy to the G20, but it would also empower the UN to achieve better global governance.

Fernando Iglesias recalled that the "Parliamentarian 20" forum, the so-called P20, will be held in Osaka in the coming months and suggested formalizing the P20 forum within the structure of the G20 so that they can adopt resolutions that are considered by the leaders at the G20 summit.

Ambassador Kansuke Nagaoka, Deputy Director-General in the Japanese foreign ministry who supervises the Committee, said that he would evaluate what could be done from the government’s perspective.

Amre Moussa: Parliamentary Assembly can help support UN and multilateralism

Security Council “incapable of fulfilling its duty”

The former senior Egyptian diplomat and presidential candidate Amre Moussa joined a call for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, in short UNPA. According to a statement published by the international campaign for a UNPA in Berlin, Mr. Moussa said that a UNPA “is an important proposal“ that he is “delighted to support.”

Explaining his view the former foreign minister of Egypt and former Secretary-General of the Arab League pointed out that “to a great extent the UN Security Council is incapable of fulfilling its duty of maintaining international peace and security.” Furthermore, he raised concern about increasing nationalist populism and its impact on world politics. “The rise of the extreme right in some countries and the lack of diplomatic ability is undermining international collaboration,” Mr Moussa observed.

“In this situation, a UN Parliamentary Assembly can help mobilize citizens and parliaments in support of the UN and help strengthen multilateralism and the international system,” the former diplomat said.

Mr. Moussa served as foreign minister of Egypt from 1991 to 2001 and subsequently as sixth Secretary-General of the Arab League from 2001 to 2011. In February 2011 he participated in the protests in Cairo seeking to oust President Hosni Mubarak. As an independent candidate he received around 11 percent of votes in the first round of the presidential elections in 2012.

The call for a UNPA is endorsed by numerous politicians, former UN officials, distinguished scholars, cultural innovators and representatives of civil society organizations, among them over 1,500 current and former members of parliament from over 120 countries.

Recently, a group of elected representatives issued a statement “that the upcoming 75th anniversary of the United Nations in 2020 must be used as an opportunity to take stock and initiate far-reaching reforms, including the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly.”

Top image: Amre Moussa at the World Economic Forum in 2007, Source: WEF/Flickr

Amre Moussa

The establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly is an important proposal that I am delighted to support. To a great extent the UN Security Council is incapable of fulfilling its duty of maintaining international peace and security. The rise of the extreme right in some countries and the lack of diplomatic ability is undermining international collaboration. In this situation, a UN Parliamentary Assembly can help mobilize citizens and parliaments in support of the UN and help strengthen multilateralism and the international system.

Stephen Masele

As the 75th anniversary of the UN is approaching in 2020, it is important to review the world organization's work and design. Just as the Pan-African Parliament is giving a voice to the continent's citizens, a UN Parliamentary Assembly should give a voice to "We, the Peoples" of this planet. I am convinced that this innovation will benefit the UN and global governance.

Campaign congratulates Malta's new President, George Vella

The Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, in short UNPA, congratulated Malta's new President, George Vella, on assuming office on 4th April this year. A medical doctor by profession, Dr. Vella served twice as foreign minister, from 1996 to 1998 and from 2013 to 2017. He is a member of the Maltese Labour Party and was a member of parliament for almost three decades. As the sole nominee he was elected by the Maltese parliament as 10th President, succeeding Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

In November last year, Dr. Vella joined the new Parliamentary Group for a UNPA in his capacity as a former member of parliament. Recently, he endorsed a statement published in The Guardian warning that “the United Nations, the multilateral order and democracy are under attack.” The document urged the world's governments to take steps towards the creation of a UNPA in order to address the UN’s democratic deficit.

Speaking as Maltese foreign minister at a summit of the Commonwealth in 2013 in Sri Lanka, Dr. Vella called on Commonwealth foreign ministers to endorse the campaign for a UNPA. He stated that the 54-member block "could influence the 194-member UN and push through the establishment of an assembly which would strengthen representation and parliamentary diplomacy."

“We wholeheartedly congratulate Dr. Vella on his election,” said Andreas Bummel, the Secretary-General of the Campaign for a UNPA which is endorsed by over 1,500 current and former members of parliament from across the world. 

Top image: Department of Information of Malta by Clifton Fenech

Natalie Samarasinghe

The United Nations matters to all people, everywhere. If we are to manage global catastrophic risks - from climate change to nuclear weapons - we desperately need an effective UN that is open and accountable to the people it serves. A UN Parliamentary Assembly would be a positive step in this direction. It would send a strong message about the need to involve stakeholders in the work of the UN, and help to boost the organisation’s legitimacy and efficacy. The UN was created for “we the peoples”. It is only right that people around the world are able to engage meaningfully with its work.

Florence Mutua

Parliamentarians should not only play a role in galvanizing intergovernmental action and in implementing global commitments nationally. Elected representatives should have a formal role to play in international negotiations and decision-making. The creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly should be promoted as a key reform in order to achieve this goal and to increase the UN's democratic legitimacy. The UN cannot go on as an exclusive club of governments. Otherwise the world organization will not be able to advance much.

Parliamentary involvement at the UN raised at peace forum in South Korea

The need of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, in short UNPA, was raised at an international peace forum organized by civil society in South Korea from 9-11 February. Bringing together participants from all over the world, the PyeongChang Global Peace Forum was held on the occasion of the anniversary of the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang one year ago to review and celebrate the peace process on the divided Korean peninsula and to consider international action for the promotion of world peace.

The purpose of one of the forum's 19 panels was to discuss an action agenda on United Nations reform in view of the UN's 75th anniversary in 2020. Attending the conference on behalf of the international Campaign for a UNPA, Kenyan parliamentarian Florence Mutua said that the creation of a UNPA should be promoted "as a key reform" in order to increase the UN's democratic legitimacy. "The UN cannot go on as an exclusive club of governments. Otherwise the world organization will not be able to advance much", she noted.

In another panel on "strengthening parliamentarian engagement on international peace and disarmament", among other things, Mutua said that "parliamentarians should not only play a role in galvanizing intergovernmental action and in implementing global commitments nationally. Elected representatives should have a formal role to play in international negotiations and decision-making," adding that "parliamentarians may be able to build bridges where others can’t."

According to Mutua, the UN should establish an "Office for Parliamentary Relations" so that individual parliamentarians, parliaments and other parliamentary institutions have a contact point at the UN. "It is remarkable that such a liaison office does not yet exist", she noted.

The involvement of elected representatives at the UN was also the subject of a study published earlier this month by Democracy Without Borders, an organization Mutua is involved with, too. Acknowledging the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the umbrella organization of national parliaments, the study concluded that a UNPA would be complementary to existing bodies and efforts in this realm.

One of the keynote speakers at the PyeongChang Global Peace Forum was Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa from Poland. In past interviews, Walesa is known to have spoken out in favor of a global parliament.

The conference is supposed to be the first step in the development of a "PyeongChang Agenda for Peace 2030."

Top image: Participants of the final plenary hold up signs calling for nuclear disarmament. Source: Asia Democracy Network 

Josep Borrell

In 2020, the UN will be 75 years old. This may be a good moment to analyse at a summit some institutional changes necessary to increase its legitimacy and effectiveness, such as the reform of the Security Council to make it more representative and limit the use of the vetoes of the great powers, or the establishment of a parliamentary assembly, thus strengthening the role of civil society and the democratic dimension of the multilateral system.