World Citizens Unite!
DEMOCRATIZE THE UN!
Join the Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly
THE GLOBAL DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT
Elective democracy is now universally accepted and promoted as the norm for political legitimacy. But whereas most people today can choose politicians to govern their cities, provinces or states and countries, citizens do not vote directly for those who represent us on important global issues at the United Nations.
The United Nations remains hamstrung by the clash of national interests that obstruct social and environmental progress for our global community.
In contrast, 492 million Europeans elect a Parliament which helps the continent manage its common interests, transcending the violent inter-state conflicts of the twentieth century.
The great problems of our times – war, disease, hunger, climate change – require co-operative solutions. Why not give the United Nations a parliamentary dimension to make it more inclusive, more transparent, more collaborative, more accountable and more effective?
THE BREAKTHROUGH
A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, or UNPA could start as an advisory body -- a watchdog with clout -- that reviews the activities of the UN, spurs needed reforms and raises the vital concerns of constituents, while nurturing the sense of global solidarity. Unlike UN ambassadors, UNPA parliamentarians would not be required to take instruction from their national governments. They would be accountable to citizens and mandated to act according to conscience and the common good.
A UNPA could be created without the approval of the Security Council and without reforming the UN Charter. Article 22 of the existing Charter allows the UN General Assembly to create its own subsidiary bodies.
Until direct elections can be held worldwide, national parliaments might elect MPs to the UNPA. This would mirror the evolution of the European Parliament where national parliaments served as ‘”electoral colleges” in the Parliament’s early years.
The advent of a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations would signal a historic transformation of global political consciousness.
THE UNPA CAMPAIGN
The UNPA is on the way. An international campaign will officially be launched this April. There will be high profile press conferences in London, Berlin, Rome, Brussels, Ottawa, Vancouver and many other cities. These will be followed by an International Parliamentary Conference in Geneva under the patronage of former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
Will you help by seeking an endorsement of the UNPA by your Member of Parliament, by meeting, calling or writing to him or her? We will supply you with all the background materials you require and answer any questions you might have.
Contact us. Join the UNPA Campaign. Globalize Democracy!
World Federalist Movement - Canada
Telephone: (613) 232-0647
Fax: (613) 563-0017
Email: wfcnat@web.net
Web: www.worldfederalistscanada.org
World Federalist Movement Canada-Vancouver
Telephone: (604) 874-9982
Fax: (604) 876-3044
Email: wfcvb@vcn.bc.ca
Web: www.vcn.bc.ca/wfcvb/
International: Committee for a Democratic UN (KDUN) www.unpacampaign.org
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Update on UNPA Campaign -
Update on UNPA Campaign - July 2008
500 Lawmakers call for World Parliament
Little more than a year after its launch, an
international campaign to bring democracy to the United Nations has
achieved a landmark.
“Over 500 members of parliament from
over 80 countries have now joined the international Campaign for the
Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, or UNPA,”
said Andreas Bummel, head of the UNPA Campaign
Secretariat, headquartered in Berlin. “The enthusiastic response of
these politicians demonstrates that lawmakers elected at the national
level readily appreciate the logic of having elected representatives at
the global level and now want to take action,” he added.
The UNPA's parliamentary endorsers (including Canada's Roméo Dallaire) have all signed the campaign's appeal (viewable at http://en.unpacampaign.org/appeal/index.php)
which asserts that solutions to the world's major economic,
environmental, humanitarian and other problems require that "all human
beings engage in collaborative efforts,” including "a gradual
implementation of democratic participation and representation on the
global level.”
"The means to achieve this," says Fernando Iglesias, a member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies and the Latin American regional parliament "is an elected body at the UN."
In addition to the support of 519 current
parliamentarians, the UNPA campaign has been endorsed by the European
Parliament, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and International
Development of the Canadian House of Commons, the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Pan-African Parliament and (most
recently) the Latin American Parliament's Commission on Political
Affairs.
The appeal was initiated by an international campaign
launched in May 2007. The UN Parliamentary Assembly could be
established as a consultative body, without requiring UN Charter
reform. It would initially be composed of national and regional
parliamentarians but at a later stage become a directly elected body.
"Anyone who believes in a more democratic world can sign the appeal by visiting www.unpacampaign.org," says Fergus Watt,
Executive Director of the World Federalist Movement-Canada, a member of
the UNPA Campaign steering committee. According to Watt, "a United
Nations Parliamentay Assembly would help foster a sense of global
community and create a powerful constituency for a United Nations
system better equipped to tackle the many challenges ahead."
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Democratize the UN An
Democratize the UN
An international grassroots campaign is afoot to introduce citizens'
representation at the United Nations, and Canadians are playing a
leading role. The idea is to begin with an advisory body - a citizens'
watchdog with clout - that gradually transitions into a world
parliament. This would be similar to the development of the European
Parliament that now has co-decision powers and is elected by over 490
million voters . Although just launched in April '07, the Campaign
already has support from participants in 112 countries.
Please go
to the website http://www.unpacampaign.org
for background information and to endorse the proposal on-line. Your
action is very important because politicians and potential campaign
funders will be watching. Your help is very much appreciated!
Also, if
you are willing to contact your MP, additional background materials can
be provided.
This
is an opportunity to make a difference and change the way international
relations are conducted. It is a step towards creation of a global
community solving common global problems as opposed to the clash of
self-interested nations where disputes are decided by military force.