UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré, 2014
The need for democratization of the UN has been widely discussed within the organization and raised by former UN Secretary Generals. Furthermore, the need for modernizing the UN to more effectively address the challenges of the modern world has also been recognized. Adopted after the Second World War, the UN’s structures, policies and rules are not only inadequate in the current world, they perpetuate inefficiency and paralysis. I believe that modernization and democratization go hand in hand. Democracy Without Borders pursues a promising approach by advocating a strengthening of democratic representation and participation of citizens. Creating a UN Parliamentary Assembly in particular would address the UN’s democratic deficit by giving the people a stronger voice in decisions that affect them.
Gulnara Shahinian, Founder of Democracy Today, Armenia, former UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, 2021
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As we face a whole range of unresolved global problems, many of them casting a shadow over the future of our species, we urgently need to revitalize our mechanisms of international cooperation. At the center of this is the transformation of the United Nations into a problem-solving organization and, without doubt, the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly would be a powerful catalyst to enable the UN to live up to the ideals on which it was founded, delivering peace, security and prosperity for all.
Augusto Lopez-Claros, international economist, chair of the Global Governance Forum and co-author of "Global Governance and the Emergence of Global Institutions for the 21st Century" (Cambridge University Press, 2020), 2021
Photo by Juan Naharro Gimenez/Getty Images
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
Wikimedia/CC (source)
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
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
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
In my capacity as a member of the Somali Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament, I would like to express my endorsement of the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly. The formation of this body will give the citizens of the world the opportunity to have their voice heard at the United Nations and will help highlight issues of global importance. A UN Parliamentary Assembly represents a key contribution to building global democracy, an ideal we all should aspire to reach. It will ensure that the world body and global governance are closer to citizens of the world and their true needs.
Abdihakim Moallim Ahmed Malin, Member of the Somali Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament, 2020
© Dr. Kandeh Yumkella
The United Nations policy-making organs should reflect the realities of the 21st Century, especially the rise of the Global South and changing demographics. A UN Parliamentary Assembly will be one way of ensuring an inclusive global governance system and democratic representation of the world's citizens.
Kandeh Yumkella, Parliamentary Leader of the National Grand Coalition in the Parliament of Sierra Leone. Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and former Director-General of the UN Industrial Development Organization, 2019
As the world is faced with major transitions and challenges in terms of security, climate change, and food security, among others, parliamentarians as the elected representatives of the citizens find themselves center-stage in pushing for effective solutions. They need to be engaged at all levels. It is natural that this must include the United Nations where key decisions are being made. To make this possible, the creation of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly is urgently needed.
Alhagie Mbow, Member of the National Assembly of the Gambia and the Pan-African Parliament, 2019
Source: www.costadelsolfm.org
The increasing public problems related to climate change and the economic and political transformations of the 21st century demand more democracy. New worldwide problems demand new institutional solutions. The United Nations needs to recognize that being an exclusive club of governments and involving some representatives of civil society is not enough to connect citizens with the international decision-making system. The political pluralism of the world's societies is not represented at the United Nations. International political decisions have to be informed by all perspectives. Governments have their own self-serving interests and this is especially true for authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. The United Nations need to make a step forward in the quality of plural representation that makes minorities seen and heard. This is the main reason why it is necessary to support the creation of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly.
Lilia Puig, Argentine democracy activist and politician of the Union Cívica Radical, currently Member of the Mercosur Parliament, 2019
As the world becoming one global village in this information era, the 75th anniversary of the UN is a good moment to revise its work and make institutional changes, in particular to establish a UN Parliamentary Assembly which can serve and represent the global citizens and address the global issues of terrorism and climate change, among others.
Lutfi Sheriff Mohamed, Member of the Somali Federal Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament, Chairman of the Banadiri Political Reformation Council, 2019
