By Martin Banks - 21st September 2011
The assembly would make recommendations to the UN
Jo Leinen
Two senior MEPs have launched a campaign to create a parliamentary assembly in the United Nations.
Speaking in parliament, Jo Leinen and Alexander Alvaro said such a move would give the European parliament as well as national assemblies a "voice" in global decision-making.
He said, "A UN parliament would render the UN and the world governance structure much more open, transparent and democratic."
Some 40 MEPs put their names to a letter to Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European council, who will address the UN general assembly in New York on Thursday, the first time the former Belgian PM has addressed the UN.
The letter, also sent to EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, asks for both to support the campaign for a UN parliamentary assembly.
In June, parliament adopted a resolution also calling for a separate assembly.
Addressing a news conference on Tuesday, Leinen said the assembly would comprise up to 900 national parliamentarians who would serve in a consultative role.
Each UN member state would have a minimum of two seats although larger countries could have more, he said.
He said, "Their role would be to provide a platform for public debate on global issues ranging from poverty to climate change.
"The assembly would make recommendations to the UN and the idea is for the European parliament to have a 'special status' in the way that the Latin American parliament and African parliament do now.
"The overall aim is to provide a certain control over what the UN general assembly does."
He conceded that the idea was at a formative stage, adding, "Clearly, this is something that is going to have to develop as an idea over time."
He added, "We are calling on the EU council and EU foreign ministers to take up parliament's recommendations on this issue."
Alvaro, a German deputy, said, "A UN parliament is an exceptional way to give more democratic leverage to the UN.
"It would strengthen the transparency of the institution and offer citizens a chance to better follow events in the UN."
German member Elmar Brok said, "The parliament resolution opens the door for a parliamentary assembly at the UN."
