MP Achyuta Samanta from India
Bhubaneswar: An international group of Members of Parliament has called for the creation of UN Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA), a body to strengthen the democratic representation of the world’s citizens in global affairs and the UN’s decision-making. Thirty-three Parliamentarians from 20 countries, including Dr. Achyuta Samanta from India, have formed an international Parliamentarian group and started campaign for creation of UNPA.
The international Parliamentarian group called on the UN Secretary General, the President of the General Assembly, the heads of states and governments and their foreign ministers as well as the representatives of UN member states in New York to initiate and support necessary steps in preparation of a meaningful UN reform summit in 2020 and towards the creation of a UNPA.
They warned, the UN, the multilateral order and democracy are under attack and businesses as usual and lofty rhetoric are not sufficient to counter this threat. “Despite many warnings and recommendations, not much has been done to prepare the UN for this challenge. The time for complacency and complaints is over. Now courageous leadership is needed”, they said in a statement.
When the international campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) was launched 11 years ago, the campaign’s patron, the late former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said – We need to promote the democratization of globalization, before globalization destroys the foundations of democracy.
The international Parliamentarian group invited MPs from across the world, who were democratically elected, to join the group for a UNPA in order to strengthen and coordinate efforts.
The panel of eminent persons on UN-civil society relations warned almost 15 years ago that the UN must do more to strengthen global governance and tackle democratic deficits. The panel stressed that more systematic engagement of parliamentarians, national parliaments and local authorities in the UN would strengthen global governance, confront democratic deficits in intergovernmental affairs, buttress representational democracy and connect the UN better with global opinion. Current arrangements are not adequate.
Besides, Dr. Samanta from India, MPs from 20 countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Ghana, South Africa, Argentina, Scotland, Greece, etc. are members of the group.
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