Program Areas

Program Areas

Advancing the common interest of humanity

Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly

The UN serves member states

Consider climate change. We have known for over 30 years that carbon emissions need to be reduced, yet we have failed to take effective action, risking environmental catastrophe. Why? Because the United Nations seeks consensus amongst almost 200 competing member states, a recipe for doing too little, too late.

A UNPA serves global citizens

A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) would give a voice to citizen-elected representatives and would make decisions in people’s best interest. For example, living sustainably is unquestionably in the collective interest of humanity, even if it may not be in the interest of any one nation to lead the way.  

An incremental approach

Initially, UNPA members could come from national parliaments. In the long run they should all be directly elected. Starting as a largely consultative body, the rights and powers of the UNPA could be expanded over time as its democratic character increases. Eventually it would become a real world parliament.

Join the global campaign

Democracy Without Borders coordinates the campaign for a UNPA supported by numerous civil society organizations, as well as individuals from 150 countries, among them over 1,600 current and former members of parliament and numerous distinguished personalities from all walks of life. Join them here.

Civil society statement

A UN Parliamentary Assembly is one of three demands of the “We The Peoples” campaign for inclusive global governance launched in April 2021 and endorsed by over 200 organizations and networks. 

Main partners
Award

The Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly received the 2nd prize in the NGO category of The Good Lobby Awards 2019, “symbolizing the sort of democratic innovations the world urgently needs.”

News and developments in this campaign

Debate on a World Parliament: “We cannot wait for another disaster”
On 25 October 2018 Democracy Without Borders Sweden, together with the Global Challenges Foundation and the Institute for Future Studies organized a seminar on the book A World Parliament: Governance
Hans Leander | 30.10.2018
News from the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly
This week, the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly was opened in New York. Next week’s general debate of heads of state and government will be held under
DWB | 21.09.2018
The European Parliament calls for a new UN Parliament and a 2020 UN reform summit
The European Parliament called on the EU’s governments to advocate the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly starting in September. A
DWB | 05.07.2018
The role of parliaments in implementing the 2030 Agenda
With 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the 2030 Agenda offers a comprehensive plan to combat some of the biggest global challenges such as poverty, hunger, inequality, unrest, unsafe migration, climate
Uwe Holtz | 13.06.2018