16 November 2007

"Opportunity for Canadian Government to show leadership"

Creation of a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations (UNPA) was the topic of a lively forum held at the Vancouver Unitarian Church on Thurs. Nov. 15th with 50 people in attendance. According to Terry Farrell, former Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at Douglas College, the United Nations suffers a crisis of legitimacy and is in danger of becoming irrelevant. Patricia Marchak, former Dean of Arts at UBC, added that a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN would not only help overcome the clash of national interests but would introduce a citizen watchdog at the highest level to help the organization protect the planet and its people. Michael Byers, Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at UBC, suggested that the proposal provides an excellent opportunity for the Canadian Government, aiming to support the United Nations and promote democracy abroad, to take a vital leadership role. This forum is part of the international UNPA-Campaign launched in April '07. It was organized by the World Federalist Movement-Canada, Vancouver Branch.