UN Reform Democratization Necessary For a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN



At the occasion of the opening of the 60th UN General Assembly in New York Members of the European Parliament in Brussels have called for democratizing the world organization. At a press conference of the "Committee for a Democratic UN (KDUN)" the parliamentarians called for the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN. "The time is ripe to open up the United Nations and the UN system more decisively and to give the people a better say", said Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament, Elmar Brok (EPP-ED). "According to the example of the European Parliament a consultative Parliamentary Assembly could be vested step by step with real authority", added Jo Leinen (PES), Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and Member of the Special Committee "EU-UN". Angelika Beer (Greens/EFA, Member of the NATO-PA Delegation) stressed: "In particular as far as questions of human rights and security are concerned, the creation of a Parliamentary Assembly for the UN would be a crucial strengthening of civil society".

The European Parliament has called for a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN in a resolution on UN reform adopted in June. According to the resolution the new assembly "would increase the democratic profile and internal democratic process" of the United Nations. In its resolution the European Parliament states "that the Parliamentary Assembly should be vested with genuine rights of information, participation and control, and should be able to adopt recommendations directed at the UN General Assembly".

The establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN is an important instrument "to include the will, ideas and initiatives of the citizens" into the work of the UN. "In 1945 the UN has been planned as pure state organization. Until today, the people are only represented through their government executives. That must change", said the Chairman of the Committee for a Democratic UN, Andreas Bummel.

The new parliamentary body at the UN should comprise between 700 and 900 delegates from the parliaments of the UN member states. The new body could be established under Article 22 of the UN Charter by a vote of the UN General Assembly.

Further Information by phone:
Angelika Beer, MEP, +32-2-284-5135
Elmar Brok, MEP, +32-2-284-7323
Jo Leinen, MEP, +32-2-284-5842
Andreas Bummel, KDUN Chairman, +49 6131-627 8376

Further information on the net:
www.uno-komitee.de/





UN Reform Democratization Necessary For a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN