Statements

As the world is struggling with major challenges and global institutions such as the UN are ever more important, we need to give a voice to the voiceless. The creation of the International Criminal Court was a milestone for global justice. In a similar way, it is my hope that a UN Parliamentary Assembly will be a milestone for global democracy. I am delighted to support this cause.

Mephato Reatile, Member of the National Assembly of Botswana, 2020

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the right of everyone to take part in public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives. This right is not restricted to local matters and extends to global institutions. A UN World Citizens' Initiative and a UN World Parliamentary Assembly represent innovative mechanisms for citizen involvement in global affairs which I proudly associate with.

Livingstone Sewanyana, UN Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order and Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative in Uganda, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the need for a UN Parliamentary Assembly that can address human security and other global issues of direct concern to the people around the world more directly than other organs of the United Nations. The existing UN General Assembly and the Security Council represent the executive branch of sovereign states that are primarily concerned with national security and interests. The world needs to transcend the Westphalian system of independent states to a world federation to deal with global issues such as coronavirus pandemic, climate change, arms proliferation and international terrorism by the norms and standards set by its Parliamentary Assembly.

Sukehiro Hasegawa, Chair, Japanese Commission on Global Governance, President of the Global Peacebuidling Association of Japan, and Special Representative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for Timor-Leste (2004-2006), 2020

After this pandemic we cannot afford to lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to organise and demand—as united people—a global parliament based on a universal global constitution capable of taking care of every global challenge in the common good.

David Victori Blaya, Award-winning film director from Spain, 2020

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.

Florence Mutua, Member of the National Assembly of Kenya, 2019

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.

Natalie Samarasinghe, Executive Director of the United Nations Association in the UK, 2019

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.

Stephen Masele, Member of Parliament from Tanzania and First Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament, 2019

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.

Amre Moussa, Former Foreign Minister of Egypt and former Secretary-General of the Arab League, 2019

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.

Together 2030, Together 2030, a global civil society coalition, in a position paper published in June 2019

There is a cluster of existential risks confronting everyone now alive on the planet. Each of them involves a cataclysmic scenario for which we are not prepared. The reality is that no country in the world has the capacity to protect us from a planetary scale disaster. Multilateralism has failed. The retreat to unilateralism is ratcheting up the risks. Realistically the only hope for us all and future generations is a U.N. Parliamentary Assembly and global governance that set planetary integration into motion. The alternative is annihilation.

Denny Taylor, Professor Emeritus, Hofstra University, and Distinguished Alumni, Columbia University, 2019