South African MPs: A more democratic UN isn't just about Security Council reform
In an opinion piece published here in the South African newspaper Mail & Guardian, two South African members of parliament with the Democratic Alliance - Stevens Mokgalapa and Heinrich Volmink - argue that making the UN more democratic cannot stop at expanding the Security Council, a subject that is high on the agenda of many governments.
Instead, they write that "a watershed moment in the democratic reform of the UN" would be the "establishment of a global parliamentary assembly."
In their opinion, South Africa could play a "pivotal role" in the project. As they point out, it wouldn't be the first time that South Africa supports the establishment of an international parliamentary body. When the African Union was created in 2001, it was South Africa that embraced the idea that a Pan-African Parliament should be part of the new continental organization.
The most prominent supporter of a world parliament from South Africa was Nelson Mandela.