Building on the experience with citizens’ assemblies thus far, this report examines implementing the concept as a democratic innovation aimed at fostering direct citizen input in global governance. By involving individual citizens in deliberation on global challenges—such as climate change, artificial intelligence, health crises, or the global governance architecture itself—Global Citizens’ Assemblies (GCAs) are anticipated to serve as platforms for putting forward policy recommendations from diverse perspectives that aim to pursue the global common good. At the same time, they are laboratories for societal learning, global discussion and citizens’ empowerment.
In principle, GCAs can be set up by intergovernmental organizations and clubs, governments, civil society groups, and a variety of other stakeholders as forums convened to address specific issues at critical moments or as permanent bodies that become a regular feature of global governance. A proof of concept to draw upon is the 2021 Global Assembly on the Climate and Ecological Crisis.
GCAs, as citizens’ assemblies in general, need to rely on important design features, including random selection of participants to form a representative sample of the population, informed and reflective deliberation, and transparent procedures. Implementation at the global scale makes it necessary to address specific challenges related to selection of participants (also known as Assembly Members), linguistic and cultural diversity, logistical effort, risk of political and corporate influence and others. This report finds that none of these issues appear insurmountable. It highlights, however, that there needs to be clarity about what GCAs are, what they are not, and what they can and cannot achieve.
This report encourages the use of GCAs by different actors and in different settings without making recommendations or expressing preferences on how this should be done. We envision that ultimately there will be a dynamic ecosystem making use of this deliberative format. However, the report particularly discusses the potential for GCAs to be set up by and benefit the UN. As a tool to be used by the UN, this paper recommends that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) applies Article 22 of the UN Charter to establish a dedicated permanent framework to codify procedures and operations, increase efficiency and create synergies. The report recommends that this UN framework should enable UN bodies and entities to set up and operate different ad hoc GCAs as needed.
GCAs are positioned as complementary to other initiatives in the field, such as creating a UN Parliamentary Assembly or a UN World Citizens’ Initiative. They offer a specific pathway for global public deliberation and participation and bridging the gap between citizens and global decision-makers.
While GCAs face practical limitations due to the world’s diversity and scale, they offer a valuable opportunity to foster trust in multilateral institutions and empower citizens to have a voice in global policy-making. By enhancing inclusive deliberation and putting forward actionable outcomes, GCAs have the potential to improve the democratic character of global governance and promote more responsive, citizen-centered approaches to solving planetary challenges.
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