Spanish Foreign Minister: Creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly should be considered
In an article published in the newspaper El País in Madrid today, the Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell stated that the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in 2020 "may be a good moment to analyse at a summit some institutional changes necessary to increase its legitimacy and effectiveness, such as the reform of the Security Council to make it more representative and limit the use of the vetoes of the great powers, or the establishment of a parliamentary assembly, thus strengthening the role of civil society and the democratic dimension of the multilateral system."
The piece was published on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10th December 2018. Among other things, Borrell pointed out that the declaration is based on a multilateralist approach that needs to be supported now more than ever as more and more issues are transnational in nature. "At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the multilateralism that underlies its conception is of strategic importance; it is nothing less than a necessity for the survival of humanity," he wrote. According to Borrell, it is necessary for Spain to defend international institutions such as the European Union and the United Nations but also to help "reform them in order to strengthen world governance."
Josep Borrell assumed office as Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation following a change of government in June 2018 when Pedro Sanchez, leader of the Socialist Party, became Spanish prime minister. Previously, Borrell was President of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007, among other things.
In a resolution adopted in July, the European Parliament called on the European Union's governments to advocate "the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly" and to support a "UN 2020 summit" that will consider "comprehensive reform measures for a renewal and strengthening of the United Nations."
El País is one of the most read and most circulated newspapers in Spain.
Top image: Josep Borrell speaking on 29 November 2018 (by Casa de América/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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Swiss Senate calls on federal government to consider a UN Parliamentary Assembly
Swiss Senators unanimously request a statement on the UN's democratic deficit
Senator Daniel Jositsch (Picture: Facebook, 03/12/2018)
A postulate submitted last week by Daniel Jositsch, a member of the Swiss Senate from Zurich, instructs the federal government of Switzerland to report on whether it perceives a democratic deficit to exist at the United Nations and whether "the creation of a parliamentary assembly within the UN" may be an appropriate step to address such a deficit. The document explains that the suggested new body may be understood "in the sense of a second chamber that represents the population analogous to the Swiss system."
The explanatory statement of the initiative, supported by all 46 members of the upper chamber of Switzerland's parliament, stresses that the structure of the UN still reflects the situation after the Second World War. The document points out, however, that the situation has changed and that the structures of the UN established at the time "cannot last forever." It goes on to say that it is necessary to democratize the world organization. According to Jositsch and the other Senators, Switzerland could play "an important role" in this process "as a neutral small state with its two-chamber system, which attaches special importance to the cantons in the structure of the state." In particular, the question arises "whether a parliamentary assembly could be considered as a supplement to today's United Nations General Assembly".
The initiative refers to a resolution of the European Parliament of July calling on the governments of the European Union to pursue the establishment of a parliamentary assembly at the UN (UNPA).
"The worsening crisis in international cooperation shows that new ways must be found to combat global problems", Jositsch welcomed the resolution at the time. The Senator is Co-President of an international parliamentary group for a UNPA that was created last month. Worldwide the international campaign for a UNPA was supported so far by more than 1,500 parliamentarians.
It is not the first time that Swiss parliamentarians draw international attention with an initiative concerning a UNPA. In February 2005, a majority of the National Council and members of the Senate called on then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to include the proposal into the official reform agenda of the United Nations.
In his reaction to the decision of the European Parliament, Jositsch stressed that now "concrete implementation measures" are needed.
Picture: Hall of the Council of States in Bern, © www.parlament.ch
Elected representatives issue call to action for a UN Parliamentary Assembly
Lawmakers establish new international group / "UN has serious limits"
A group of elected representatives was established this Wednesday at an international online meeting with the goal to promote the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, in short UNPA. The new Parliamentary Group for a UNPA adopted a call to action warning that “the United Nations, the multilateral order and democracy are under attack.”
Possible logo of a UN Parliamentary Assembly
The declaration urges the UN and its member governments to take steps towards the creation of a UNPA in order to address the UN’s democratic deficit. It refers to a statement by former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali who said that “we need to promote the democratization of globalization, before globalization destroys the foundations of national and international democracy.”
The meeting elected five co-presidents: Fernando Iglesias, Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina; Daniel Jositsch, Senator from Switzerland; Jo Leinen, Member of the European Parliament from Germany; Naveed Qamar, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan; and Ivone Soares, Member of the National Assembly of Mozambique and the Pan-African Parliament.
"Democracy currently stops at national borders"
“Democracy currently stops at national borders. At the global level, the United Nations brings together diplomats appointed by member state governments. There is no UN body composed of democratically elected representatives. As a consequence, the UN reaches serious limits when it comes to finding solutions for global problems. Take climate change as an example. There has been little progress for decades,” said Senator Daniel Jositsch who chaired the meeting.
Other initial members of the group include, among others, Ireland's Thomas Broughan, Jens Holm from Sweden, Smári McCarthy from Iceland, Florence Mutua from Kenya, Achyuta Samanta from India, Lilia Puig de Stubrin from Argentina, Nomsa Tarabella-Marchesi from South Africa and Malta's George Vella.
Group members already in action
Responding to a question of Thomas Broughan in the Irish parliament this week, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney responded again that Ireland was “open minded” on the UNPA proposal. Together with four other parliamentarians, Smári McCarthy these days re-introduced a resolution in the Icelandic parliament calling for support of a UNPA.
Previously, with the involvement of group members Fernando Iglesias, Jo Leinen and Ivone Soares respectively, the Latin-American Parliament, the Parliament of Mercosur, both chambers of the Argentine parliament, the European Parliament, and the Pan-African Parliament endorsed the proposal.
In addition, the international campaign for a UNPA so far was endorsed by over 1,500 current and former individual members of parliament. The new parliamentary group aims at building “the political momentum and pressure that is needed to achieve our goal”.
“The creation of a Parliamentary Group for a UNPA is another step forward in the way towards a world parliament, global democracy, a stronger UN and a fairer and more peaceful world”, commented Fernando Iglesias.
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World congress of United Nations associations calls for a UN Parliamentary Assembly
Resolution adopted at Plenary Assembly in Punta Cana anticipates a UN Reform Summit in 2020
View of the plenary in Punta Cana, by WFUNA/Twitter
The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), calls on UN member states, parliamentarians, civil society and its more than 100 member organizations across the world to "support steps towards the creation of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly" (UNPA).
A declaration adopted unanimously at WFUNA's 42nd Plenary Assembly in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, this Friday explains further that the new UN body should be attached to the UN General Assembly and allow for "formal participation of parliamentarians in the work of the UN."
The resolution that was jointly proposed by the UN associations of Germany, Denmark, South Africa and the United Kingdom states that the UN "must address the democratic deficit within global decision-making processes" if it is to be successful "in the pursuit of creating a better world for all and ensuring that no one is left behind."
"We hope that a UNPA will strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the UN," commented UNA-Germany's board member Hannah Birkenkötter in Punta Cana. Ben Donaldson, the Head of Campaigns at UNA-UK said that "we need a world organisation that truly represents the world. A UNPA would be a major step towards this goal."
The resolution adopted at the world congress says further that there should be "an open and inclusive intergovernmental preparatory process under the auspices of the UN General Assembly for a UN 2020 summit that considers comprehensive reform measures, including the creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly."
The document acknowledges the ongoing international Campaign for a UNPA that has received support of more than 1,500 member of parliament across party lines, among others. It also refers to endorsements of a UNPA by the European Parliament, the Latin-American Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament.
"The World Federation of United Nations Associations not only brings together the world's strongest supporters of the UN but also those who perhaps have the best understanding of how the world organization operates. Their call for a UN Parliamentary Assembly has great significance," said Andreas Bummel, the UNPA Campaign's Secretary-General. "The pressure on the UN and its member states to finally consider this proposal is growing," he stated.
Top image: WFUNA plenary by UNA-Denmark/Twitter
Read WFUNA's resolution
Hazel Henderson
As a longtime enthusiastic supporter of the United Nations as the world’s best convener and promoter of global democratic standards and norms for humanity’s common future on this planet, I am honored to support the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. A Parliamentary Assembly will augment all the positive global programs embodied in the UN Sustainable Development Goals which I support and promote, as well as the UN Principles of Responsible Investment, of which our company is a signatory member.
Mexican legislators call for a review of the UN Charter and "effective international legislation"
The Commission on Foreign Affairs of the Mexican Congress supports a United Nations conference to review the UN's Charter of 1945 and calls on the new Mexican government to pursue the matter at the upcoming UN General Assembly
Following Mexico's general election in July that was won by Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the Juntos Haremos Historia alliance, the Sub-Commission on Foreign Affairs, National Defense and Education of the Permanent Commission of the Mexican Congress which includes legislators of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies and the Senate called on the new Mexican federal government to push for UN reforms "in accordance with the UN's Charter" at the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly which will be opened on September 18.
Deputy Macedonio Tamez and Francisco Plancarte in Mexico City. Image: CEMERG
The declaration adopted on August 14 says that the next UN General Assembly should take a decision to convene a General Review conference as provided for in Article 109 of the UN's Charter. The document explains that in the light of global issues "Mexico and the international community must respond to the world population with a new paradigm of global governance and with international legislation that is effective to tackle new threats to peace and worldwide stability."
The resolution was tabled by Mexican deputy Macedonio Tamez, leader of the parliamentary group of the Movimiento Ciudadano in the outgoing legislative term. Commenting on the declaration, Mr. Tamez said that "We support the call for open and inclusive intergovernmental preparations of a UN reform summit in 2020. This will be a good opportunity to launch a review of the UN Charter. In addition, we endorse the efforts for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly as a first step towards a world parliament."
"Preparations for a UN Charter Review Conference and the creation of a global parliament are overdue," commented Francisco Plancarte, a Mexican lawyer and long-time promoter of UN transformation according to Art. 109 of the San Francisco Charter with Planetafilia and now the Centro Mexicano de Responsabilidad Global, CEMERG.
With the declaration, Mexican legislators are adding momentum to international calls for an overhaul of the UN's structure and a UN Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) ahead of the UN's 75th anniversary in 2020. In July, the European Parliament requested the European Union's governments to promote the creation of a UNPA and early preparations for a UN 2020 Reform Summit.
Observers hope that another boost for global governance reforms may be achieved through the Paris Peace Forum that will take place from 11-13 November 2018 on the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron. The Global Challenges Foundation in Stockholm is supporting working groups that are to present proposals.
Top image: Cristiano Oliveira/Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0
Read the declaration
Spanish original
English translation
European lawmakers call for a UN Parliamentary Assembly and a 2020 UN reform summit
In a resolution adopted today, the European Parliament called on the EU's governments to advocate "the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly" (UNPA) and to support a "UN 2020 summit" that will consider "comprehensive reform measures for a renewal and strengthening of the United Nations."
Jo Leinen in the EP's plenary (in 2017, photo: EP)
According to the European Parliament, a UNPA should be established "within the UN system in order to increase the democratic character, the democratic accountability and the transparency of global governance and to allow for better citizen participation in the activities of the UN and, in particular, to contribute to the successful implementation of the UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals."
The directly elected parliament of the EU's citizens called on the EU's 28 member states represented in the Council of the EU to advocate the creation of a UNPA at the upcoming 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly which will start in September.
European parliamentarian Jo Leinen (S&D) who had initiated the call for a UNPA said that "the UN urgently requires more openness and stronger democratic foundations." He added that "the European Parliament therefore calls for the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly within the United Nations system" and that "the European Union and its member states should now play an active role in the implementation of this innovation."
The European Parliament's rapporteur on this year's recommendations on the EU's UN policy, Eugen Freund (S&D), said that since he first encountered UN reform forty years ago "unfortunately, not much has changed." He added that "the General assembly has more members now, but it is still a body of unelected diplomats. Therefore, the idea of eventually complementing them with elected parliamentarians is a very appealing one. They would certainly be closer to the populace and thus would have to regularly answer to their constituency. Whether that would also streamline the decision-making processes remains to be seen."
Eugen Freund speaking in the plenary (2 July 2018, photo: EP)
Other supporters of the call for a UNPA in the parliament's committee on foreign affairs included Elmar Brok (EPP), Soraya Post (S&D), Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D), Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL), and Andrey Kovatchev (EPP).
The European Parliament's resolution was welcomed by Ivone Soares, a parliamentarian from Mozambique and a member of the African Union's Pan-African Parliament. "With resolutions passed by the European Parliament, the Pan-African Parliament and the Latin-American Parliament, the time has come for progressive governments in these three major world regions to consider the creation of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly," Soares said.
Daniel Jositsch, a member of the Swiss Council of States commented that "the escalating crisis in international cooperation shows that new ways must be found to combat global problems. It is therefore very positive that the European Parliament is calling on the European states to speak out in favour of the creation of a UN Parliament. It is important that they will not simply pay lip service to this goal, but that concrete implementation measures are being taken."
"From the many initiatives in favor of a more peaceful, fair and democratic world the creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly is the decisive one. The recent support given by the European Parliament to this proposal shows that the members of the most important supranational parliamentary body are ready to work for its creation," commented Fernando Iglesias, a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina.
Jo Leinen, Ivone Soares, Daniel Jositsch and Fernando Iglesias are co-chairs of the parliamentary advisory group of the international Campaign for a UNPA which has been endorsed by over 1,500 elected representatives worldwide. The campaign's secretary-general, Andreas Bummel, said that the European Parliament's call for a UNPA was "a bold and important step at a time when multilateralism is under attack." "Governments interested in defending and strengthening the UN and democracy worldwide should urgently work for the democratisation of global institutions and a UN Parliamentary Assembly is a key to achieve this," he added. Recently, the Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney stated that Ireland was "open minded" relative to proposals for a UNPA.
The European Parliament's resolution on the EU's UN policy also recommended, among other things, the establishment of "an open and inclusive intergovernmental preparatory process under the auspices of the UN General Assembly for a UN 2020 summit, on the occasion of the UN’s 75th anniversary" that would consider "comprehensive reform measures for a renewal and strengthening of the United Nations."
Earlier this year Jo Leinen and Andreas Bummel published a book on the history, today's relevance and future implementation of the proposal of a world parliament and on improving democratic world governance.
Top image: Plenary session with votes on 18 April 2018, Genevieve Engel/European Parliament
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Resolution adopted by the European Parliament
United Nations Association of Sweden reaffirms support of a UN Parliamentary Assembly
Resolution adopted at Svenska FN-förbundet's congress in Örebro
Petter Ölmunger (photos: Jesper Prytz)
At its national congress from June 16-17, the United Nations Association of Sweden, UNA-Sweden, passed a resolution that reaffirms the organization’s support for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA). The resolution commits the board to seek ways to "strengthen and broaden the support of the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, nationally and globally", and to start a "long-term and strategic project" in order to promote a democratization of the United Nations.
As one of the new board members UNA Sweden's Congress elected Petter Ölmunger, the UNPA Campaign’s national coordinator and chairperson of Democracy Without Borders Sweden. The latter organization was established earlier this year with the purpose of promoting global democracy and a UNPA in particular.
“We can see how the gap is growing ever wider between our greatest political challenges and the actual power of elected politicians. If we want local and national democracy to survive in the age of globalization, a democratization of the United Nations and of global decision-making has become a most urgent necessity,” said Ölmunger.
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. UNA’s national congress is meeting every third year and represents the highest decision-making body of the organization.
Around fifty member of parliament from Sweden are on record as supporters of the international appeal for a UNPA.
Ireland "remains open minded" on the idea of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, says Foreign Minister
Simon Coveney addresses the UN General Assembly, 23 September 2017 (UN photo)
In a written answer to a question put forward in the Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish legislature, by the independent member Thomas Broughan, the deputy head of government of Ireland and Minister on Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, stated that he has "noted proposals for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly" and that "Ireland remains open minded on the concept of such an assembly."
In the answer that was published on Thursday, Coveney explains that "as a steadfast supporter of the UN, Ireland continues to advocate, through a range of fora, for reform of the UN’s structures and systems to best equip the organisation to respond to the many and interlinked global challenges of the twenty first century. Ireland is committed, in this context, to consider proposals seeking to improve the effectiveness of the UN and the contribution it can make to the peace, stability and development of all nations."
He goes on to point out that in his opinion, "any proposals for a UN Parliamentary Assembly should add value to the multilateral governance system and, importantly, have broad support among the UN membership."
According to the minister's statement, "Ireland will consider how best to engage on this proposal, and other efforts at reform of UN institutions, as the concept of a UN Parliamentary Assembly progresses."
The Secretary-General of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Andreas Bummel, welcomed the statement of the Irish foreign minister and noted that the proposal could be considered "as part of the ongoing discussions on the UN General Assembly's revitalization."
The campaign has been endorsed by over 1,500 current and former members of parliament from over 100 countries. Before assuming office in 2011, the current President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, was among those who endorsed the campaign's appeal as a member of the Dáil Éireann.
Historically, other prominent Irish politicians who voiced support for the idea of a global parliamentary body include the former foreign minister and lawyer Seán MacBride who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974.
Top image: Simon Carbery Coveney arrives at informal meeting of ministers for foreign affairs in Gymnich, September 2017. Picture: EU2017EE Estonian Presidency/CC BY 2.0
New book on a world parliament and world governance presented at the UN in New York
On April 11th, the United Nations Correspondents Association with support of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies hosted an event at the UN headquarters in New York marking the launch of the book "A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century", authored by Andreas Bummel, the Director of Democracy without Borders and Jo Leinen, a Member of the European Parliament.
The book describes the history, today’s relevance and future implementation of the idea of a democratically elected world parliament and explores how world governance may be improved. In the introduction the authors write that “we know that a world parliament and a world legal order cannot be realized from one day to the next. But we argue that it is high time to set this process in train by establishing a UN Parliamentary Assembly.”
At the event, Andreas Bummel said that the confrontation between the United States and Russia in the UN Security Council over the carnage in Syria represents “the darkest hour in international relations in recent history.” In his opinion, forward-looking visions such as that of a world parliament are now all the more important. He outlined the proposal of a UN Parliamentary Assembly as a means to better represent the world’s citizens in UN affairs. The assembly could be established as a consultative body composed of national or regional parliamentarians by a decision of the UN General Assembly as part of the latter’s “revitalization”.
Luke Vargas, UN Bureau Chief of Talk Media News, moderated a discussion with Bummel with a number of journalists and diplomats from member states’ missions to the UN, with William Pace, the Executive Director of the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy and Convener of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, introducing.
Vargas pointed out the “rare, precious optimism” of the book in the context of the current political climate, which Pace also acknowledged, calling it a “period of severe retreat of the principles of multilateralism and of how policy elites are implementing globalism.” Both highlighted the exceptional way that a world parliament could address today’s issues. One of the most prominent supporters of the idea was Albert Einstein.
Bummel, who is also Director of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, fielded a number of questions from the audience regarding the premise of the book as well as the concept of a UN Parliamentary Assembly. An essential distinction was made between international law and global law, which is explored in the last chapters of the work. Bummel argued that international law does not represent a legal system in the strict sense of the term as it does not provide for mechanisms for the adoption of universally binding rules, for mandatory settlement of disputes before courts or means of enforcement.
In a review posted on his blog, American professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University Richard Falk strongly recommended the book and called it “a great gift to humanity at a time of global emergency.”
Experts who had an opportunity to read an advance copy included Frank Biermann, chair of the Earth System Governance project and professor at Utrecht University. According to Biermann, the book represents “the new standard work on the idea of a world parliament” and “a milestone in the debate on the democratization of global governance.”
The book can be ordered in print and ebook edition on Amazon or any other retail and online bookstores around the world.
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