Proposals for democratic strengthening of the UN system of global governance - A UN Citizens' Assembly
CAMDUN - Interactive proposals, ideas and activities for democratic strengthening of the UN system of global governance:
• (1) UN draft proposal for a Civil Society Forum linked with the General Assembly
• (2) Qs and As on a Civil Society Forum
• (3) A UN Citizens' Assembly
• (4) Action for UN Renewal
• (5) Initiative for a New Zealand Forum for UN Renewal
• (6) Inaugural Meeting, March 1997, of New Zealand's Forum for UN Renewal
• (7) Survey of UK opinion on a Civil Society Forum linked with the General Assembly
(3) A UN CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY
(Dr. Harry H. Lerner, CAMDUN's UN Representative and President of the Communications Coordination Committee for the United Nations (CCC/UN) 301 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017, USA.)
The "Dynamics of Democracy--Local to Global" flow-chart below is a diagrammatic description of a permanent process of community-level NGO and CBO (Community-based organization) coordination for cooperative planning and problem-solving via monthly meetings of organizational representatives, computer networking, bio-regional coalition-building and public education on the linkage between local and global issues and strategies. One unifying aim and ongoing project of such community councils is participation in the biennial nomination and popular election of, as well as continuing communication with, delegates to the proposed United Nations Citizens (Peoples') Assembly, each representing their area's residents as global inhabitants, as well as national citizens. The resulting UN body would number under 600 delegates, on a proportionally equitable population basis. This plan involves a minimum of 1 delegate per nation plus the square root of the millions of its population. (16=U.S.; 26=India; 32=China.)

The original proposal for an elected UN Second (Peoples) Assembly was initially submitted at the UN General Assembly's Special Session on Disarmament II,in 1982 by the Medical Association for Prevention of War's delegate, Dr. Jeffrey Segall. He was the founding Editor of Medicine and War, the journal of the UK affiliate of the International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War. It was then also presented to an evening session of the Peoples Assembly for the UNSSD II, convened by the World Citizens Assembly's UN representative, Dr.Harry Lerner. The unanimous endorsement, which followed, encouraged Dr. Segall to propose forming the International Network for a UN Second Assembly (INFUSA) in 1983. He invited Dr.Lerner and a dozen other global convenors to enlist broad support from the world-wide NGO community, key UN officials and the UN General Assembly. (See Building a More Democratic United Nations, 1991, pp. 93-115)
After six years of global organizing, INFUSA undertook a series of five annual international Conferences For A More Democratic UN, three in cooperation with the Association of World Citizens. At the UN-based, third day of the 1993 conference, the delegates voted to incorporate INFUSA into CAMDUN, the present Campaign for A More Democratic UN. This fourth CAMDUN Conference also approved the formation of a world-wide network of NGOs to promote public participation in global governance through a strengthened and more democratic United Nations.
The 5th CAMDUN Conference, October 6-9, 1995, in NYC, submitted an innovative Statement to the UN General Assembly's President and its high-level Working Group on Revitalizing and Reforming the UN System. The Convenors also requested the appointment of a sub„committee to consider peoples' representation at the UN. This was essentially the same request submitted by INFUSA annually from 1984 to 1989. The recent flood of endorsements of a UN Peoples' Assembly by UN, diplomatic and NGO leaders may imply that this needed evolutionary change is at hand.
For example, the President of the UN Economic and Social Council convened a meeting of 100 NGO Representatives on December 9, 1996, to explore methods of enhancing NGO involvement in the work of the General Assembly. Our preceding "sub-committee proposal" was endorsed by the ECOSOC President and recommended to the General Assembly President, who accepted it. Thus, a sub-committee of the High-Level, Open-Ended Working Group on Strengthening and Reforming the UN System, initially open to NGO participation, is currently in operation.
The "Dynamics of Democracy" process, outlined above, would combine the benefits of democratic leadership development, information and resource sharing, and cooperative decision-making in community problem-solving and local election of delegates to the proposed UN Peoples Assembly.
This global process would also permit representation, as planetary citizens, of the 1/18th of the human race known as the "indigenous peoples" who are currently unrepresented at the United Nations. Furthermore, such a UN Peoples or Citizens Assembly, linked to its local constituents electronically and through the network of ongoing community coordinating councils, could significantly contribute to peace and security through:
• Providing "early warning" of intensifying tensions and impending conflicts;
• Contributing to conflict prevention and resolution efforts, in cooperation with local authorities, academic institutions, proposed UN conflict settlement machinery, etc.;
• Monitoring compliance with UN agreements, conventions and codes of conduct;
• Facilitating global NGO collaboration with UN agencies;
• Serving as a source of helpful insights and initiatives for the UN Principal Organs, Specialized Agencies and Member States.
The foregoing and other benefits of the proposed local-to-global approach to a more democratic UN can also help "evolve" the UN Charter, without requiring its amendment. For example, the proposed UN Citizens Assembly can be established by the General Assembly, under Charter Article 22, or by any of the Principal Organs under Article 7.2.
As a "Subsidiary Organ", the proposed Citizens Assembly would function "at the pleasure" and in the service of the sponsoring Principal Organ. Thus, under the General Assembly, such service would aim to facilitate enhancement, communication and implementation of the GA Resolutions.
The local-to-global process of civic involvement and delegate selection, recommended above, would promote "Subsidiarity" -- the principle of direct decision-making at the most individual level feasible. This process would also promote participation of the citizenry in NGOs and CBOs as well as the volunteering of the best qualified to represent "major groups" in community councils and other civic bodies, above all, as popularly elected delegates of their districts to the United Nations.
• (1) UN draft proposal for a Civil Society Forum linked with the General Assembly
• (2) Qs and As on a Civil Society Forum
• (3) A UN Citizens' Assembly
• (4) Action for UN Renewal
• (5) Initiative for a New Zealand Forum for UN Renewal
• (6) Inaugural Meeting, March 1997, of New Zealand's Forum for UN Renewal
• (7) Survey of UK opinion on a Civil Society Forum linked with the General Assembly
(3) A UN CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY
(Dr. Harry H. Lerner, CAMDUN's UN Representative and President of the Communications Coordination Committee for the United Nations (CCC/UN) 301 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017, USA.)
The "Dynamics of Democracy--Local to Global" flow-chart below is a diagrammatic description of a permanent process of community-level NGO and CBO (Community-based organization) coordination for cooperative planning and problem-solving via monthly meetings of organizational representatives, computer networking, bio-regional coalition-building and public education on the linkage between local and global issues and strategies. One unifying aim and ongoing project of such community councils is participation in the biennial nomination and popular election of, as well as continuing communication with, delegates to the proposed United Nations Citizens (Peoples') Assembly, each representing their area's residents as global inhabitants, as well as national citizens. The resulting UN body would number under 600 delegates, on a proportionally equitable population basis. This plan involves a minimum of 1 delegate per nation plus the square root of the millions of its population. (16=U.S.; 26=India; 32=China.)

The original proposal for an elected UN Second (Peoples) Assembly was initially submitted at the UN General Assembly's Special Session on Disarmament II,in 1982 by the Medical Association for Prevention of War's delegate, Dr. Jeffrey Segall. He was the founding Editor of Medicine and War, the journal of the UK affiliate of the International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War. It was then also presented to an evening session of the Peoples Assembly for the UNSSD II, convened by the World Citizens Assembly's UN representative, Dr.Harry Lerner. The unanimous endorsement, which followed, encouraged Dr. Segall to propose forming the International Network for a UN Second Assembly (INFUSA) in 1983. He invited Dr.Lerner and a dozen other global convenors to enlist broad support from the world-wide NGO community, key UN officials and the UN General Assembly. (See Building a More Democratic United Nations, 1991, pp. 93-115)
After six years of global organizing, INFUSA undertook a series of five annual international Conferences For A More Democratic UN, three in cooperation with the Association of World Citizens. At the UN-based, third day of the 1993 conference, the delegates voted to incorporate INFUSA into CAMDUN, the present Campaign for A More Democratic UN. This fourth CAMDUN Conference also approved the formation of a world-wide network of NGOs to promote public participation in global governance through a strengthened and more democratic United Nations.
The 5th CAMDUN Conference, October 6-9, 1995, in NYC, submitted an innovative Statement to the UN General Assembly's President and its high-level Working Group on Revitalizing and Reforming the UN System. The Convenors also requested the appointment of a sub„committee to consider peoples' representation at the UN. This was essentially the same request submitted by INFUSA annually from 1984 to 1989. The recent flood of endorsements of a UN Peoples' Assembly by UN, diplomatic and NGO leaders may imply that this needed evolutionary change is at hand.
For example, the President of the UN Economic and Social Council convened a meeting of 100 NGO Representatives on December 9, 1996, to explore methods of enhancing NGO involvement in the work of the General Assembly. Our preceding "sub-committee proposal" was endorsed by the ECOSOC President and recommended to the General Assembly President, who accepted it. Thus, a sub-committee of the High-Level, Open-Ended Working Group on Strengthening and Reforming the UN System, initially open to NGO participation, is currently in operation.
The "Dynamics of Democracy" process, outlined above, would combine the benefits of democratic leadership development, information and resource sharing, and cooperative decision-making in community problem-solving and local election of delegates to the proposed UN Peoples Assembly.
This global process would also permit representation, as planetary citizens, of the 1/18th of the human race known as the "indigenous peoples" who are currently unrepresented at the United Nations. Furthermore, such a UN Peoples or Citizens Assembly, linked to its local constituents electronically and through the network of ongoing community coordinating councils, could significantly contribute to peace and security through:
• Providing "early warning" of intensifying tensions and impending conflicts;
• Contributing to conflict prevention and resolution efforts, in cooperation with local authorities, academic institutions, proposed UN conflict settlement machinery, etc.;
• Monitoring compliance with UN agreements, conventions and codes of conduct;
• Facilitating global NGO collaboration with UN agencies;
• Serving as a source of helpful insights and initiatives for the UN Principal Organs, Specialized Agencies and Member States.
The foregoing and other benefits of the proposed local-to-global approach to a more democratic UN can also help "evolve" the UN Charter, without requiring its amendment. For example, the proposed UN Citizens Assembly can be established by the General Assembly, under Charter Article 22, or by any of the Principal Organs under Article 7.2.
As a "Subsidiary Organ", the proposed Citizens Assembly would function "at the pleasure" and in the service of the sponsoring Principal Organ. Thus, under the General Assembly, such service would aim to facilitate enhancement, communication and implementation of the GA Resolutions.
The local-to-global process of civic involvement and delegate selection, recommended above, would promote "Subsidiarity" -- the principle of direct decision-making at the most individual level feasible. This process would also promote participation of the citizenry in NGOs and CBOs as well as the volunteering of the best qualified to represent "major groups" in community councils and other civic bodies, above all, as popularly elected delegates of their districts to the United Nations.
posted by Ingrid Jones at 12/30/2004
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