RSS news channel of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/en.xml 06/14/2013 06/14/2013 MPs talk with the head of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly Set up by the Foreign Affairs Commission of the German Bundestag, the Subcommittee on the United Nations, International Organizations and Globalization conducted a conversation on Wednesday in Berlin about "ways to strengthen democratic structures at the United Nations." The discussion revolved mainly around the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN, a recommendation that was made by the chair of the Committee for a Democratic UN, Andreas Bummel, who was invited to attend the meeting as an expert. According to Mr. Bummel, the fundamental democratic deficit of the United Nations lies in the fact that only the governments of the member states are represented in the bodies of the world organization. The fact that in the existing bodies each member state has one vote alike without any consideration of population size would lead to "imbalance" and was "problematic." In contrast, a parliamentary assembly could provide for compensation as the number of seats of its elected representatives could "approximately" be distributed according to population size. The UN would require "parliamentary participation and control." The expert of the bipartisan committee, who is also secretary-general of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, pointed out that the German Bundestag in 2005 had adopted a resolution to the effect that it supports the development of the existing Inter-Parliamentary Union IPU, established in 1889, into a parliamentary assembly of the United Nations. He criticized that in clear contrast to this decision, the German parliament's president, Mr. Norbert Lammert, was key in organizing opposition against reform efforts in this direction at the Third World Conference of Speakers of Parliament hosted by the IPU in 2010. "In the eight years since the resolution was passed, there was no noteworthy development in this regard at the IPU," Mr. Bummel noted. Not least for this reason the committee and the international campaign suggested the complementary option that a UN Parliamentary Assembly is established independently of the IPU as a whole new body. Discussion with parliamentarians The chair of the subcommittee, Heike Hänsel, posed the practical question of how a global parliamentary assembly could remain functional, from the perspective of size, without losing its democratic representativeness. She also pointed out that many important political issues would not be dealt with by the United Nations but rather by other organizations and informal fora such as the G20 meetings. A UN Parliamentary Assembly thus would have little effect. Rather, the UN as such should be strengthened, Mrs. Hänsel noted. Parliamentarian and former German Minister for International Development Cooperation Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul expressed support for the proposal of a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations. At the same time, she stressed that according to the existing policy established eight years ago, the Bundestag would prefer a corresponding reform of the IPU over the establishment of a new body. The subject needed to be re-evaluated and promoted more strongly within the IPU and the Bundestag, Mrs. Wieczorek-Zeul said. Deputy Jürgen Klimke noted that a global parliamentary assembly would ultimately mean to have direct elections. However, this was hardly viable in the foreseeable future. Moreover, the acceptance of such a body by the population at large might be an issue, he said. The European Parliament already would often be perceived as being too far away from the citizens. However, Mr. Klimke concluded, more transparency and citizen participation in the United Nations could initially be achieved through the delegation of parliamentarians of the member states to an appropriate UN body. As an example for this he mentioned the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In the discussion, Mr. Bummel pointed out that it is now a consensus in the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly that the assembly should not be narrowly limited to the issues raised at the UN General Assembly and that its competences ultimately should extend further, for instance to the international financial institutions and the World Trade Organization. Mr. Bummel expressed amazement about the fact that the German Bundestag apparently is not participating in the consultations of the speakers of parliament of the G20 countries that were initiated by the Canadian Senate in 2010. Other topics that were covered at the meeting included the reform of the UN Security Council and in particular the question of the veto power of the five permanent members of the Council. Top image: The Reichstag building in Berlin. Source: Flickr (maxie-online), CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 709 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/709.php 05/27/2013 05/27/2013 Conference in Kazan calls for "a body that is directly elected by the Earth's citizens" At a conference in Kazan in Russia, the international association of Pirate Parties PPI adopted a declaration that supports the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. According to the statement, the assembly should be directly elected by the world's citizens and would complement the existing UN General Assembly. The declaration refers to the international attempt to conclude an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement ACTA as an example that makes "it evident that an early involvement of general public and parliaments in the international agenda setting process is urgently needed." The non-existence of a parliamentary body at the UN and other international organizations "strongly contributes to the international democratic deficit," the statement says. Pirate parties around the world had helped mobilize public opposition against ACTA, a treaty that was negotiated in secrecy without any meaningful public debate and consultation. In July 2012 the European Parliament rejected the treaty, thus effectively burrying the effort for the time being. PPI was formally established in 2010 as the international political association of Pirate Parties. Currently, 42 national parties are members of the network. The first Pirate party was founded in Sweden in 2006. Among other things, Pirate parties advocate for liberal copyright and patent laws, free sharing of information and knowledge, privacy, transparency and neutral, universal and unrestricted access to the internet. According to PPI's website, Pirate parties are currently represented with three seats in the national parliament of Iceland and one seat in the Senate of the Czech Republic. In addition, two Swedish seats in the European Parliament are held by Pirate party representatives and more than 40 seats are held in four different German state legislatures. PPI's conference in Kazan took place from 20-21 April 2013. Full text of the Kazan declaration Pirate Parties International Related news 04 February 2012: ACTA confirms "need of an elected global parliament", says Committee Top image: PPI conference in Kazan, Russia, by N. Malysheva, http://on.fb.me/13Sde0G 704 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/704.php 05/17/2013 05/17/2013 Proposal presented at a meeting convened by the UN's Independent Expert Alfred de Zayas The establishment of a world parliamentary assembly was one of the subjects of a consultation convened on Thursday at the Palais des Nations in Geneva by the UN's Independent Expert for the Promotion of an Equitable and Democratic International Order, Alfred de Zayas. At the opening of the meeting, Mr. de Zayas stressed that the existence of a democratic deficit at the global level was widely recognized today. "There is a disconnect between power and people," the Independent Expert said. The purpose of the meeting was to seek views from experts on what measures could be recommended to "strengthen full, equitable and effective participation at the international and national levels." In a statement delivered at the meeting, the representative of the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Andreas Bummel, pointed out that democratization of the international order should aim at promoting the dignity and worth of the individual human being and the fundamental equality of all world citizens. Considering the fact that the United Nations is a state-based organization and intergovernmental in nature, he stated that "The challenge is to find ways to create a space within this setup that nonetheless allows connecting global decision-making more directly with the world’s citizens as individuals." According to Mr. Bummel, a UN body should be established in order to "give the world's citizens a voice at the UN through more direct representation. The underlying idea," he said, "is increased participation through increased political representation." The members of this new body could be either delegated by parliaments or countries could choose to have them directly elected. Referring to the parliamentary organs of the European Union, the Council of Europe and the African Union, he emphasized that such a new UN Parliamentary Assembly "in no way would contradict the intergovernmental nature of the United Nations." With reference to ongoing international discussions on post-2015 Development Goals, Mr. Bummel stated that steps towards citizen-based global democratic governance should be part of the new framework. "Serious consideration should be given to the contribution that a parliamentary assembly at the United Nations could make to the mechanisms which can assure accountability, reporting, monitoring and continued dialogue regarding the fulfillment of the post-2015 goals," he stated. This was in line with a call of global civil society made earlier this year in a synthesis report that the post-2015 framework should "incorporate targets on the reform and democratization of global institutions." Other themes discussed at the meeting included reform of the UN Security Council, reinvigoration of the UN General Assembly, direct democracy, the role of national parliaments in the international and national arena, and the situation of indigenous peoples and nations. The consultation was convened by the Independent Expert with a view of a report that will be submitted to the United Nations in October. Download the full statement here (PDF) Read more 03 November 2012: UN's Independent Expert to examine proposals for a UN Parliamentary Assembly 29 November 2012: UN’s Independent Expert reasserts that the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly should be explored Top image: Expert meeting in Geneva, CEUNPA 700 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/700.php 04/02/2013 04/02/2013 Delegation presents the proposal to the Senegalese Prime Minister and the President of the National Assembly The world-renowned Senegalese musician Youssou N’Dour has taken a stand for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. Mr N’Dour who is also a Minister of Tourism in the government of Senegalese President Macky Sall argued that “just as every town has an elected city council or just as every democratic nation has a parliament, a UN Parliamentary Assembly that reflects the diversity of the world’s citizens and cultures needs to be established at the global level.” In a statement on the occasion of a meeting with representatives of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly on Tuesday last week, he further pointed out that “such a global parliament would allow for global issues to be dealt with in a democratic and legitimate way.” The delegation to Dakar was also received by the Senegalese Prime Minister Abdoul Mbaye and the President of the National Assembly, Moustapha Niasse. The Vice-President of the National Assembly of Senegal, Aimé Assine, who was host to the delegation emphasized that Senegal should play a leading role in the efforts for democratizing the UN. “Building on a strong democratic tradition and a long-standing involvement at the United Nations, Senegal now needs to spearhead the initiative for the creation of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly,” Mr Assine said. The campaign’s representative for Senegal, Mamadou Ibrahimia Fall, added that Senegal had already shown “its commitment to democracy, to African integration and to a more democratic multilateral system.” “Senegalese parliamentarians and the executive are invited to take up leadership in Africa to work towards the creation of a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations,” he stated. One subject of the talks in Dakar was the possibility to convene an international meeting of the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly in the Senegalese capital. “For the first time on the African continent, the National Assembly of Senegal is ready to host an international conference of the Campaign for the Establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly in 2014, gathering parliamentarians, academics and citizens from all over the world who work on this noble project”, Mr Assine summarized the outcome. In an interview with TV station RTS, the campaign’s Secretary-General Andreas Bummel who led the delegation together with Mr Fall said that the positive stance of the Senegalese authorities was encouraging. “A leading role of Senegal in the efforts for a UN Parliamentary Assembly would be highly welcome,” Mr. Bummel stressed. Other members of the delegation included Mathias Eberlen, the chief of staff of the co-chair of the campaign’s advisory group Jo Leinen, and the campaign’s Senegalese coordinator, Papa Meissa Dieng. Photo gallery at Flickr Top image: Skyline of Dakar, Source: Jeff Attaway, Flickr, Creative Commons 696 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/696.php 03/20/2013 03/20/2013 People’s manifesto sets out a global agenda for action, supports the creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly With the support of a diverse group of initial signatories from twenty-five countries, a Manifesto for Democracy and Sustainability was published today. According to the document, human activities have exceeded the earth’s natural limits but democracy is “failing to deliver sustainability.” The drafters have identified areas where democracy most urgently needs to change to deliver a healthy environment and fairness for everyone at the same time. The document intends to “guide a global movement for change” that helps “to transform democracy so that it is an engine for sustainability.” “Democracy and sustainability are the two vital elements of what we will pass on to future generations, but their crucial inter-dependence has been neglected,” said John Lotherington, Chair of the Foundation for Democracy and Sustainable Development Foundation (FDSD), the organisation behind the international process that created the Manifesto. Among other things, the manifesto emphasizes that “the interests of all people affected by public decisions need to be taken into account. Decision-makers at all levels should also be accountable to all affected people.” Accordingly, it goes on, “the scale and effects of sustainability challenges often demand that democracy bursts out of its national borders. In decision-making at the international level democracy, not the self-interest of individual governments or groups of governments should be the basis for engagement.” One of the commitments included in the document pledges support for the “creation of a Parliamentary Assembly of the United Nations as the first step towards a system of global democracy.” The Secretary-General of the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Andreas Bummel, one of the manifesto’s “founder signatories” explained that “not less, but more democracy is the key to a sustainable world society that respects the Earth's natural boundaries. This is especially true with regard to the global level where democracy is still virtually absent. It is an outstanding feature of this manifesto that it calls for a strengthening of democratic decision-making, participation and representation at all levels of governance alike.” Launch video of the manifesto Sharan Burrow, another initial signatory and General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation stated that “we are all part of a global democratic movement for change. This is an important initiative.” The manifesto is the heart of a new online platform which invites the public to share ideas and actions around the subjects of democracy and sustainability. The founder members include current and former politicians, experts, educators and activists, as well as concerned individuals, national, international and grassroots networks and alliances. Read and endorse the manifesto here Top image: The initiative’s logo, by FDSD 692 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/692.php 01/31/2013 01/31/2013 EAC governments urged to promote a joint African position At a session in Bujumbura, Burundi, the East African Legislative Assembly adopted a resolution on Tuesday that supports the creation of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. In the document which was introduced by Ugandan lawmaker Mike Sebalu, the parliamentary body of the East African Community urges the organisation's five member states Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, "to take the initiative to promote the development of a common African position in support of the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly." The resolution outlines the growing role and involvement of international organizations such as the United Nations and its specialized agencies in key sectors such as the promotion of peace and security, economic development, health, education, the environment and sustainable development. It notes that nonetheless there is no formal parliamentary body at the United Nations that allows for parliamentarians to take part in its deliberations. According to Mr Sebalu, the insufficient formal involvement of elected representatives limits the democratic legitimacy of the world organization. According to the resolution the formation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly would be a tool to "improve the transparency, accountability and the effectiveness of the United Nations." With the approval of the resolution, the East African Legislative Assembly joins a number of regional and continental parliaments that have expressed support for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. In particular, a similar one was passed by the Pan-African Parliament on October 24, 2007. In a first reaction, the Secretary-General of the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, Andreas Bummel, stated that EALA's resolution constitutes "an important milestone in the international efforts for democratizing the United Nations." The resolution points out that a UN Parliamentary Assembly could be established simply by a vote of the United Nations General Assembly in accordance with Article 22 of the Charter of the United Nations without an amendment of the United Nations Charter. The East African Legislative Assembly was established in 2001. Its membership is made up of nine representatives from each EAC member state who are elected by the national parliaments. Since June 2012, the assembly is chaired by Margaret Zziwa from Uganda. The treaty for the East African Community provides that partner states shall accord special importance to co-operation with the United Nations and its agencies and other international organizations. EALA website Top image: Flags of the EAC and its member states. Photo: EAC 688 http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/688.php