Media release - Monday 30 June 2008

Five hundred lawmakers call for world parliament

Berlin. Over 500 members of parliament from over 80 countries have joined an international Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, or UNPA. "The enthusiastic response of these politicians demonstrates that lawmakers elected at the national level see the necessity of an elected body at the global level and that they now want to take action," said Andreas Bummel, head of the UNPA Campaign Secretariat, headquartered in Berlin.

The campaign's parliamentary endorsers believe that solutions to the world's major economic and environmental problems require that "all human beings engage in collaborative efforts." A joint appeal signed by the lawmakers recommends "a gradual implementation of democratic participation and representation on the global level." According to Mr Fernando Iglesias, a member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies and member of the Latin American regional parliament, "the means to achieve this is an elected body at the UN."

The Latin American Parliament's Commission on Political Affairs recently adopted a declaration endorsing the proposal. Additionally it is supported by the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Pan-African Parliament and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the Canadian House of Commons. The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Mr Luís Maria de Puig from Spain stated that "the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly would be an important step to bring the UN closer to the world's citizens."

"A UN Parliamentary Assembly would make the UN system more accountable and more responsive to the collective needs, and rights, of the world's citizens," commented Canadian Senator Roméo Dallaire, former Force Commander of UNAMIR, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda.

"Through elected representatives the new assembly would give ordinary citizens a voice in international affairs. This would introduce a new dynamic at the UN, something which governments also might appreciate," said Mr Amadi Bethel, deputy of the People's Democratic Party in the Nigerian House of Representatives.

"The broad endorsement the appeal got from elected representatives all over the world is a major milestone. We will now reinforce our efforts to achieve support from parliaments," announced Belgian Senator Mrs Anne-Marie Lizin who served as the Senate's President from 2004 to 2007.

The UN Parliamentary Assembly could be established as a consultative body, without requiring UN Charter reform. It could initially be composed of national and regional parliamentarians but at a later stage switch to direct election

Full list of UNPA Appeal supporters