23 March 2009

Proposal for UN Parliamentary Assembly presented at Renmin University of China

The proposal for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) and the international campaign for a UNPA was presented at events at Renmin University of China in Beijing. Dr. Robert Sheppard, Professor at Tsinghua University and member of the Advisory Board of the Committee for a Democratic U.N., delivered speeches on the topic in last October and, more recently, on 11th March. The speeches were attended by students, professors, news media and professionals from the Chinese capital and the academic community. The reception of the UNPA proposal was very positive and scholars and students were quite interested to learn more about a concept that was largely new and unfamiliar to them. "To illustrate the concept of a consultative UN Parliamentary Assembly it is possible to give the example of the China People's Political Consultative Committee which acts as a kind of advisory upper house of the legislature," Dr. Sheppard stated.

Dr. Sheppard also pointed out that the National People's Congress of China, nominally China's highest state body, is composed of around 3,000 delegates who meet for two weeks each year. Between these annual sessions business is maintained by a Standing Committee of around 150 delegates. "A similar procedure, with a large plenary which meets only once a year and a smaller standing Committee, might be applicable to a UN Parliamentary Assembly as well," Dr. Sheppard suggested.

The recent event in March initiated a student's project group in Beijing which will undertake translation and promotion work. Besides of the aforementioned events, Dr. Sheppard in past months also spoke on the creation of a global parliament at the Model United Nations program at Renmin University and the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Coverage by Renmin University