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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, […]
The United Nations needs to become more representative and inclusive relative to those who are most affected by its work and global challenges. A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly would be a way to achieve this. This new body would have to guarantee that the voices of farmers from around the world are better heard and understood, especially for developing countries particularly in Africa.
Brylyne Chitsunge, Ambassador of the Pan-African Parliament on Food Security in Africa, 2017
It is high time that there is a body at the United Nations that brings parliamentarians from all UN member states together. The UN would benefit from involving elected representatives in its deliberations. After all, in many cases it's them who are needed to help implement UN policy at the national level, especially if it comes to the Agenda 2030. A UN Parliamentary Assembly would also provide for democratic oversight of the UN's operations, including playing a meaningful role vis-à-vis the Security Council. This additional layer of accountability would increase the world organization's democratic character and its credibility so that external control and economic exploitation by the strong on the weak nations and their lands is suppressed.
Nomsa Tarabella-Marchesi, Member of the National Assembly of South Africa, 2017