RSS news channel of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/en.xml 05/16/2012 05/16/2012 Union Minister Shri Deshmukh presents book, supports establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly In the era of globalization the world’s citizens should be given more responsibility through a directly elected global parliament. This suggestion to improve the democratic character of global governance took center stage on Wednesday at the presentation of an Indian edition of a new book titled "A Global Parliament" that was chaired by Vilasrao Deshmukh, Minister of Science and Technology. According to the authors, U.S. professors Richard Falk, University of California, and Andrew Strauss, Widener University, democratic decision-making needs to be "extended to the global system." At the release of the book in CSIR Building in New Delhi, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Minister for S&T said that the proposal was "bold" and "worth serious consideration." "It’s generally accepted that global governance needs to become more democratic. This is an innovative proposal how this could be done," he noted. "In a first practical step", he remarked, "a largely consultative United Nations Parliamentary Assembly could be created and national parliaments, including the Indian parliament, could send elected representatives to the global parliament. A UN Parliamentary Assembly could become the peoples' chamber at the United Nations while the United Nations General Assembly can act as the upper house." Shri Deshmukh further added: "I support an international campaign for the creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly which is endorsed by more than 800 elected representatives throughout the world and hundreds of leading personalities, among them over 45 members of the Parliament of India. I hope that an elected global parliamenary assembly will become a reality in our lifetime." "To begin with, a UN Parliamentary Assembly will be a consultative body of the UN General Assembly and will be the voice of the people globally. For practical reasons, the representatives to the UN Parliamentary Assembly should be elected by the national parliaments of different countries so that even non-democratic countries such as China could take part in it." said Shashi Tharoor, a Member of the Lok Sabha who was nominated by the Government of India for the post of UN Secretary General in 2006. He added: "Everything takes time and we in India should support the creation of a global parliamentary assembly at the UN." The preface to the Indian edition of the book that was published by Yash Publications states that promoting a UN Parliamentary Assembly would "fit well into India’s support of democracy and by doing so India could catch the world's imagination as it did when it strongly advocated for the end of colonialism and apartheid." In the book, Falk and Strauss argue that a number of twenty to thirty countries that are geographically, culturally and economically diverse could initiate a project to create a global parliament. They take the view that direct elections are a necessary condition and that over time more and more countries would join. In the preface former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt concurs that democracy, to be effective, needs to extend beyond state borders. The book is a compilation of articles and essays by Falk and Strauss that appeared in journals such as Foreign Affairs and newspapers like The International Herald Tribune or The Times of India between 1997 and 2010. It is available from major online bookstores such as Amazon.com and Barnes and Nobles. More details on the book Pictures of the event Read more 09 December 2011: Union minister and prominent lawmakers in India support call for a UN Parliamentary Assembly 01 December 2011: Collected works on a global parliamentary assembly published in one volume 627 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/627.php 05/11/2012 05/11/2012 International assembly releases manifesto ahead of worldwide mass protests As hundreds of thousands of people around the world prepared to take to the streets this weekend as part of a global call for change, an international and inter-movement assembly formed of supporters of Occupy, Take the Square and Latin American, African, Asian and Middle Eastern social movements has released a statement describing concrete suggestions for what such global change should entail. The statement, titled “Global May Manifesto,” calls for “systemic change” in the global economic and political system, in particular for a democratization of international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the Bank for International Settlements and the United Nations. The text that was also published on-line by the Guardian, says that “all decisions affecting all mankind should be taken in democratic forums like a participatory and direct UN Parliamentary Assembly or a UN people’s assembly, not rich clubs such as G20 or G8.” The declaration demands “full democratization of international institutions, and the elimination of the veto power of a few governments.” Among other things, the activists also suggest global taxation of financial transactions and an abolition of tax havens. While endorsed by consensus by the international assembly earlier this month, the statement makes clear that it “does not speak, or claim to speak, on behalf of everyone in the global spring/Occupy/Take the Square movements.” In a press release issued today, Alvaro Rodriguez, 31, from the Indignados movement in Spain who participated in the process of writing the statement, said: “While the statement does not represent the position of local and city assemblies, the next step is to present it to assemblies around the world for consideration, discussion and revisions, as part of a dialogue of the 'Global Spring' movements taking place across six continents.” Full text of “GlobalMay Statement” at InterOccupy.org Top image: Protesters marching on the street on 15 May 2011 in Madrid, by Álvaro Herraiz San Martín, found at Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Further reading 14 October 2011: Amid international protests, intellectuals and activists issue manifesto for global democracy Links http://www.globalmay.org/ 624 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/624.php 04/20/2012 04/20/2012 The creation of a global parliament was a hotly debated issue at an expert panel that occurred on Thursday as a side event of the Lund Earth System Governance conference in Sweden. While there was agreement that strengthening global democracy was desirable, the participants in the discussion had divided opinions as to whether the creation of a global parliament was the right approach. In his introductory comments, the coordinator of the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Andreas Bummel, pointed out that since the 1990s political support for the establishment of a parliamentary UN body has grown but that the subject has been largely neglected by academic research. Bummel observed that over 150 international parliamentary institutions are now in existence, the most advanced being the European Parliament. He added, however, that there is no formal parliamentary body at the United Nations nor at any other major international intergovernmental organization. In his opening remarks, Frank Biermann, the chair of the Earth System Governance Project and professor of political science at VU University, Amsterdam, said that questions involving whether and how elected representatives could meaningfully participate in global governance could be usefully subject to further academic exploration. He noted that the extent to which representative structures might enhance the global system's accountability and legitimacy (two core subjects of the Earth System’s Project) are particularly ripe for study. Referring to an article recently published in Science magazine by over 30 scholars, Biermann said that adopting more qualified majority voting and weighted voting mechanisms in international norm-setting organizations is increasingly being recognized as beneficial and that likely voting schemes in a parliamentary body could contribute to trends in this regard. According to John Dryzek, a professor of political science at Australian National University, the establishment of a global parliament would only make sense in the context of global state building and should not be pursued. Democracy, he said, should be understood in a broader way than having elections. The institution of parliament should not be extrapolated to the global level because this would limit other options. In addition, he argued that China and the United States, two of the world’s most important powers, for different reasons would not be willing to participate in such a project. Utilizing the concept of path dependency, Jonathan Kuyper, a PhD student under Dryzek's supervision, similiarly argued that a decision to create a global parliament could not be reversed and that such an institution would "crowd out alternatives." A strong statement in favor of a global parliament was made by Andrew Strauss, a professor of international law at Widener University in the United States. Strauss argued that democracy requires some sort of institutionalized representation. He explained that it is hardly an accident that the governmental systems of every democracy in the world are centered around an elected assembly or parliament. He observed that through the elected representatives of a global parliament, a direct link would be established between the world’s citizens and the institutions of global governance. Further, he said, the present system of global law-making is dysfunctional because states have the ability to opt out of any agreement. According to Strauss, a global parliamentary assembly could potentially mobilize political and moral pressure that would make it more difficult for countries to disregard international law. The international conference in Lund brought together over two hundred researchers from 30 countries and various, mainly social science disciplines for three days to explore ways in which a more legitimate, democratic and accountable earth system governance might be achieved. The conference featured 16 keynote speakers and 40 panels. It was the third conference of this kind organized by the Earth System Governance project. The next will take place in January 2013 in Tokyo. The side event was jointly organized by the Earth System Governance Project and the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. It was moderated by the project's director, Ruben Zondervan. Image: Panel on global parliament, in the picture from left to right: Ruben Zondervan, Andrew Strauss, Andreas Bummel, Frank Biermann, John Dryzek 620 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/620.php 04/02/2012 04/02/2012 The third international gathering of Green parties worldwide, the Global Greens Congress, closed yesterday in Dakar, Senegal, with the adoption of various resolutions, one of which dealt with the question of global democracy. "Greens recognize that the need to strengthen democracy and participation in the system of global governance has become urgent," the resolution states. Taking note "of the fact that no parliamentary body exists within the framework of the United Nations, the World Bank group, the International Monetary Fund or the World Trade Organization", the Congress declared "its support for the creation of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) as a parliamentary body within the UN system." Representatives of over 70 Green parties from across the world met for three days in Senegal's capital and deliberated on issues such as solidarity, democracy, biodiversity, climate change, and the future of the Global Greens movement. In a statement made during a plenary session on Friday, Australian Senator Bob Brown said that the influence of global corporations at the international level was too strong. This should be counterbalanced by a "global parliament" that is dealing with genuinely global issues and that "makes sure that the basic needs of every citizen of the world" can be met. "Every citizen should have an equal say on global matters," Senator Brown suggested. "One person, one vote, one value." A week before, Senator Brown had delivered a major speech on the subject in Hobart, Tasmania. At a workshop on Saturday the issue of a global parliament was discussed in detail at the Green's World Congress. Introductions to the proposal of a UN Parliamentary Assembly were provided by Kennedy Graham, a Green parliamentarian from New Zealand, and Didier Coeurnelle, a delegate with Ecolo from Belgium. The workshop concluded that a UN Parliamentary Assembly in a first step should be composed of representatives of national parliaments "but ultimately it should become a body that is directly elected by the world’s citizens," as the final resolution states. Coeurnelle who introduced the resolution on behalf of Ecolo, the Australian Greens, the French Greens, and the Young European Greens, commented that "Parliamentary democracy is not a perfect system, but it has proven to be the best available at the municipal, regional, national and even multinational levels. It is time to promote parliamentary democracy at the world level as well." The second Global Greens Congress in May 2008 in Sao Paulo already adopted a resolution in support of a UN Parliamentary Assembly. The proposal is supported across party lines. Other international party networks that did endorse it include the Socialist International and the Liberal International. In December 2011, the parliament of the South American community Mercosur passed a statement and in June 2011, the European Parliament called on the EU's member states to promote the idea. Download resolution (in English) Further reading: 23 March 2012: Bob Brown delivers the 3rd annual Green Oration 08 May 2011: Green youth organizations in Europe endorse call for elected UN assembly Image: Delegates vote during a plenary session, by Philippe Bossin 616 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/616.php 02/04/2012 02/04/2012 Treaty could become "dangerous precedent for undemocratic global rule-making" The Committee for a Democratic United Nations (KDUN), a non-governmental think tank based in Berlin, Germany, says that the "shockingly intransparent and undemocratic" international negotiations for an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement ACTA confirm the urgent need "for a global watchdog that is elected by the world's citizens." According to the Committee that adovcates democratization of global governance, "there was no meaningful public consultation, no involvement of parliaments or elected representatives, the drafts were only published very late and after strong public protests, and on top of that governments did invite global corporate lobbyists to provide feedback, giving them, and not the public and their elected representatives, an opportunity to influence the treaty’s regulations according to their wishes." According to the Committee's chairman, Andreas Bummel, "ACTA is an example for secret diplomacy, something that should belong into the history books" and its ratification "should be rejected." "We strongly oppose this attempt to establish a precedent for undemocratic and intransparent global rule-making. By ratifying this treaty, parliaments would rubber-stamp the scandalous negotiation process and thus approve of their own complete disempowerment. It has to be made clear that so-called plurilateral negotiations that are conducted in this manner are unacceptable and will not succeed. For this reason alone, parliaments should reject the treaty," said Mr. Bummel. KDUN argues that the power of corporate lobbyists and secretive intergovernmental negotiations should be counterbalanced by an elected global parliament. "ACTA is a most fitting example that illustrates the democratic vaccuum at the global level. International agreements no longer only deal with foreign policy issues. They can deeply interfere into people's lives. For this reason, civil society and, above all, elected parliaments need to be involved from the beginning. It is no longer sufficient to present parliaments with finished and signed treaties." KDUN acts as Secretariat of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly that is supported by legislators and civil society groups from over 100 countries. A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly is conceived as a first pragmatic step towards a world parliament. At the most recent international meeting in the Senate of Argentina, the campaign declared that "those who are to be affected by a decision should have a chance to take part in it. As important decisions taken at the global level today affect all human beings, we recognize the need to democratize global governance." Recently, the European Parliament's rapporteur on ACTA, Kader Arif from France, a supporter of the campaign, resigned from this position, condemning "the whole process which led to the signature of this agreement." Avaaz, a global citizen’s movement, is collecting online signatures to call on the European Parliament to not ratify ACTA. After strong public protests, the ratification process of ACTA was stopped in Poland yesterday. According to Reporters without Borders, ACTA would restrict the freedom of expression on the internet. See also previous reports: 12 November 2009: Committee: Intransparency of negotiations on ACTA confirms need of global parliamentary body Top image: "Stop ACTA" protests in Poland, 25 January 2012, by olo81 (Flickr), CC BY 2.0 610 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/610.php 01/03/2012 01/03/2012 The World Future Council calls on the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development that will take place in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro to mark the 20th anniversary of the UN’s Earth Summit in 1992 to endorse the establishment of an “Ombudsperson or High Commissioner for Future Generations” at the international and national levels. “The establishment of the office of an Ombudsperson for Future Generations at the United Nations would be a step towards global democracy,” said the chairperson of the World Future Council Foundation, Jakob von Uexküll, at a meeting in London on Wednesday, December 21. “The purpose of this institution would be to safeguard the right of current and future generations to healthy economic, environmental and social conditions by representing and protecting their interest to sustainable development at the UN and in global policy-making. An independent Ombudsperson of this kind who can freely interact with the public and make recommendations would make the UN more open, more accountable and more democratic,” Mr. Uexküll added. The World Future Council (WFC) consists of around fifty respected personalities from all five continents and all walks of life. They represent governments, parliaments, the arts, civil society, science and the business world. According to the Council, “future justice is about remaking our governance frameworks – institutions, policies, and laws – so they facilitate just cooperation, broad-based participation, and an equitable sharing of resources and benefits of economic scientific and technological progress.” “For future justice to be effective, it is necessary that short-term vested interests are counterbalanced in global and national institutions with long-term joint interests of humanity. The proposed Ombudsperson is a first important step into this direction. In the long run, I believe that as a body of independent elected representatives, a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly would provide an excellent forum to introduce and emphasize the necessary global view,” Mr. Uexküll explained. According to the international “Appeal for the Establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations”, one of the body’s purposes would be to facilitate “collaborative efforts” of “all human beings” in order to ensure “the survival and well-being of future generations as well as the preservation of the natural foundations of life on Earth.” Top image: Group picture at one of the meetings of the World Future Council in 2011 608 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/608.php