European Parliament urges EU Council to put UN Parliamentary Assembly on UN's agenda
10 May 2011 | The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) has passed recommendations to the Council of the European Union on Monday evening that include the request to the Council to advocate at the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly “the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) within the UN system.” The adoption of the text by the plenary of the European Parliament is considered a matter of form and is expected to take place in June.
The decision indicates that the reform and democratization of the United Nations through the creation of an elected body is back on the agenda of the European Parliament.
“We urge the Council and the foreign ministers of the EU member states to consider the European Parliament’s recommendation. A UN Parliamentary Assembly would make the United Nations and global governance in general more open, transparent and democratic. This has always been an objective of the European Union. Besides, the assembly could be a strong force to support efforts for democratization around the world. That should be an important point on the agenda”, said European lawmaker Jo Leinen of the Socialist Group who is co-chair of an international Campaign for a UNPA.
“The decision to seize on the call for a UN Parliamentary Assembly again puts the European Parliament back at the forefront of the international efforts for global democracy,” said Andreas Bummel, the Campaign’s Secretary General.
Source: Unpa Campaign.