Pirate Parties support the creation of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly

27. maj 2013

Conference in Kazan calls for "a body that is directly elected by the Earth's citizens"

At a conference in Kazan in Russia, the international association of Pirate Parties PPI adopted a declaration that supports the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. According to the statement, the assembly should be directly elected by the world's citizens and would complement the existing UN General Assembly.

The declaration refers to the international attempt to conclude an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement ACTA as an example that

Emblem of Pirate Parties International, PPI

Image: PPI

makes "it evident that an early involvement of general public and parliaments in the international agenda setting process is urgently needed." The non-existence of a parliamentary body at the UN and other international organizations "strongly contributes to the international democratic deficit," the statement says.

Pirate parties around the world had helped mobilize public opposition against ACTA, a treaty that was negotiated in secrecy without any meaningful public debate and consultation. In July 2012 the European Parliament rejected the treaty, thus effectively burrying the effort for the time being.

PPI was formally established in 2010 as the international political association of Pirate Parties. Currently, 42 national parties are members of the network. The first Pirate party was founded in Sweden in 2006. Among other things, Pirate parties advocate for liberal copyright and patent laws, free sharing of information and knowledge, privacy, transparency and neutral, universal and unrestricted access to the internet.

According to PPI's website, Pirate parties are currently represented with three seats in the national parliament of Iceland and one seat in the Senate of the Czech Republic. In addition, two Swedish seats in the European Parliament are held by Pirate party representatives and more than 40 seats are held in four different German state legislatures.

PPI's conference in Kazan took place from 20-21 April 2013.

Full text of the Kazan declaration
Pirate Parties International

Top image: PPI conference in Kazan, Russia, by N. Malysheva, http://on.fb.me/13Sde0G