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