UNPA Support Spans a Wide Spectrum

Excerpts from statements at the April 24 conference in Vancouver.

Patsy George
Vancouver Branch, United Nations Association in Canada.

In our view, it is important to hear the voices of the people, in addition to the national governments. And the legitimacy of the United Nations itself will be increased when citizens are included in the activities of the UN, and also given a bigger voice.

Ian Waddell
Former MP, New Democratic Party of Canada.

This UNPA, to begin with, it|s quite a modest proposal...  but it|s revolutionary in its implications if you think it through, because it introduces the concept of a global community and the global good, and it ties it into the grass roots. Second, it|s a force for further change in the UN system. The UN system needs shaking up: it|s ossified a lot v the state system, the control of the big powers, the veto of the major powers on the Security Council. It|s not working the way it should.

Adriane Carr
Deputy Leader, Green Party of Canada

I think there are two issues at play here. One is the importance of the goal of having a more democratic and representative United Nations body. And the second is how we achieve it....  What we might choose to do as an interim stage will not necessarily be the final goal of actually having duly elected representatives. By {duly elected,| I mean by the people of the world through some form of proportional representation, where every vote counts.... We are one planet. Trade, immigration, and global environmental factors draw us all together as people of one planet. So we fully support this effort. We think the move is an extremely forward-thinking move about what is needed to bring and to secure global peace and sustainability.

Prof. Leonard Angel
Vancouver Branch, World Federalist Movement v Canada.

We are overusing the basic resources of the planet...  We need to figure out a way in which we could have a real transformation in order to no longer use armaments and armies to expand territory, selfish state actions that became, technically, illegal in 1945v47 with the beginning of the UN Charter (but we all know that there are big problems with it).  We need to have a method to make that which is now part of international law actually function. The UNPA will possibly be a very great advantage in solving those needs.

Excerpts from statements at press conference May 10, 2007, Ottawa

Hon. Warren Allmand
President, WFM v Canada

I am the representative of the World Federalist Movement, which is one of the international NGOs working in support of a UNPA, led by the Committee for a Democratic UN. The appeal for a UNPA has also been endorsed by the Liberal International, the Socialist International, the Green Party International, the World Federation of UN Associations and through resolutions from a number of regional parliaments.s

Rwanda happened because it was left to diplomats to sit around and talk. The same is happening with Darfur. There is a detachment, a lack of passion and of public accountability at the UN that needs to change.

Hon. Bernard Patry
Liberal Party of Canada

Il est essentiel à mes yeux de procéder à la création d|une Assemblée parlementaire des Nations-Unies, et c|est pourquoi je suis heureux d|appuyer cette Appel.

Le principal motif d|aller de l|avant avec cette initiative vient du fait que, dans le monde globalisé qui est désormais le nôtre, les intérêts des citoyens de tous les pays doivent être défendus et promus, d|où la nécessité qu|ils soient démocratiquement représentés par leurs élus au sein de cette instance multilatérale de premier plan qu|est l|ONU.

La création d|une Assemblée parlementaire des Nations-Unies permettra donc de contribuer non seulement à la démocratisation et à la nécessaire réforme de l|ONU, mais aussi, en intégrant de manière formelle les élus au processus de décision, l|Assemblée concrétisera l|expression des citoyens au cœur même de ce forum des nations.

En somme, aller de l|avant avec ce projet, c|est prendre acte encore plus concrètement de cette réalité que les États n|ont plus le monopole de l|interv- ention dans les enjeux internationaux.   Les citoyens sont en effet non seulement concernés, mais également de plus en plus actifs.   Ils ont désormais besoin de leurs élus pour que leur présence croissante devienne pleinement reconnue. 

Alexa McDonough
New Democratic Party of Canada

s I recall our discussion of this initiative at the Canadian Foreign Affairs Committee when we heard from European Parliamentarians about this initiative.
I think that there was broad agreement at the time that this was a worthwhile initiative.s
A UNPA would be complementary to the many grassroots citizens organizations that now take an active interest in global issues.s There was some disappointment with the UN reforms that were brought about the year before last. Efforts toward greater democratization of the UN must continue.s

Is the UNPA possible?  All developments in politics start with an idea. The idea of a UNPA makes sense in a world that not only seems smaller but is also more dangerous with threats to security that cannot be addressed by nations acting alone.

Marlene Jennings
Liberal Party of Canada

sthe UN needs to be further reformed if it is to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It must be reformed in order that it becomes more democratic. I am ready to do my part to support the creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly.

Elizabeth May
Leader, Green Party of Canada.

We do need to democratize our international institutions so that they better reflect the voices of the people of the world.s In the long term, I would like to see the UN become a bicameral institution, with a parliament that represents citizens alongside the  present General Assembly.s

Change is possible. New institutions do get created from time to time. The WTO was created 10 years ago. We have an increasing role for NGOs at the UN. I think the time has come to create a parliamentary assembly at the UN.