A WORLD PARLIAMENT

Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century

by Andreas Bummel & Jo Leinen, 2018

A book on the history, relevance and implementation of the idea of a world parliament.

“An important and excellent book. The efforts for a world parliament enjoy my full support.” — Jean Ziegler

An updated and expanded 2nd edition will be published in 2024.

SUPPORT

Andreas Bummel is best known for his advocacy of a world parliament.

He is co-founder and Executive Director of Democracy Without Borders and the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. He is also one of the founders and convenors of the campaign for inclusive global governance, “We The Peoples”.

His book “A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century” which was published in 2018 (with Jo Leinen) was the first to provide a comprehensive overview of this vision and project.

Since 2023, Andreas is championing the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy.

Andreas was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1976 and moved with his family to a town close to Frankfurt am Main in West Germany at the age of six. As a child he was terrified by the possibility of all-out nuclear war between East and West that seemed all too real. The victory over apartheid in South Africa and the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, left a deep emotional impression on him.

Feeling as a global citizen and horrified by the inability of the United Nations to stop the genocides in Bosnia from 1992 on and in Rwanda in 1994, he became involved with the World Federalist Movement, WFM, an international non-governmental organization that was established in 1947 and which is devoted to strengthening of the global rule of law and democracy. One of WFM’s prime objectives was the creation of the International Criminal Court. From 1995 to 2021 the organization has been running the international NGO coalition working on creating and strengthening the court. Andreas served on WFM’s council from 1998-2018.

In 1997, Andreas became involved with the Society for Threatened Peoples, STP, one of Germany’s largest human rights organizations. STP was one of the first groups that called for international action to stop the genocide and “ethnic cleansing” in Bosnia. The organization advocates the cause of minorities throughout the world. From 1998 until 2008 Andreas served as an advisor on UN issues. In 2009 as well as from 2017-2019 he was a board member.

Together with a group of world federalists Andreas established the Committee for a Democratic United Nations, KDUN, in 2003. According to the Committee’s founding declaration, the members “are united in the vision of a world in which the rule of law, democracy, subsidiarity, federalism, human rights and peace are globally institutionalized and guaranteed.”

In 2007, KDUN together with numerous partners around the world launched the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, CUNPA, that has been supported by over 1,600 members of parliament from over 120 countries. As the Campaign’s coordinator, Andreas among other things organized the international meetings on a UN Parliamentary Assembly that were held in 2007 in Geneva, 2008 in Brussels, 2009 in New York, 2010 in Buenos Aires, and 2013 again in Brussels.

From 2001-2006 Andreas worked as an analyst at the management consultancy firm FutureManagementGroup, FMG. Previously, he was trained in business administration and worked at the global pharmaceutical group Hoechst which today is part of the Sanofi-Aventis group. The department he worked at was responsible for the group’s quality management.

Apart from his work and his other activities, Andreas enrolled in the Law School of the University of Mainz and specialized in international law and corporate law.

In 2001 and 2002 he was a scholar of the Deutsche Studienstiftung which sponsors students of outstanding academic achievements. However, Andreas eventually abandoned university without graduation in order to concentrate on his political work. Since 2006, he is a full-time political activist devoted to the cause of global democracy and world federalism.

In 2015 the Society for Threatened Peoples awarded him the association’s honorary membership. He is a member of the advisory board of the World Government Research Network, WGRN, that was launched in the same year and aims to advance the academic dialogue on global political integration.

 

Image: Wikimedia Commons/Filberbirb

Under the leadership of Andreas KDUN merged into Democracy Without Borders, DWB, in 2017. In addition to advocating a world parliament, the international organization is committed to the promotion of global citizenship and democracy in general. 

Andreas is a co-founder of the Campaign for a UN World Citizens’ Initiative, see here, that DWB launched in collaboration with Democracy International and CIVICUS in 2019. In 2021, this collaboration resulted in the international civil society call for inclusive global governance that was endorsed by leading groups from across the world. It is now know as “We The Peoples” campaign. Since 2023, he is championing the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy.

In 2018, Andreas published the book “A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century” (with Jo Leinen) which describes the history, relevance and possible implementation of a global parliament.

Selected pre-pandemic photos 2017-2020 and from 2022

Interview with CIVICUS

In an interview with CIVICUS Andreas elaborated on the shortcomings of global governance and civil society reform proposals

Yale Global Justice Program

Andreas spoke online at the Yale University Global Justice Program presenting the proposed UN Parliamentary Assembly in connection with structural change

East & West podcast

In this podcast Andreas talks about global citizenship, a global polity, common values, democratic principles, a global parliament, peace and war, the containment of authoritarian governments and much more.

Call for a UN Rapporteur on Democracy

On 20 November 2023, an international call for a UN Rapporteur on Democracy was published which Andreas helped organize. He is quoted in this article.

International poll

A 15-country-survey showed significant support for a world parliament and world law. Read Andreas’ report and comment here.

UN Charter revision

Andreas participated in an international study group that examined principles and proposals for a “second” UN Charter. The results are summarized in this document (PDF).

T20 policy brief

The T20 engagement track of the G20 summit has published a policy brief by Thomas Pogge and Andreas titled “Enhancing the Legitimacy of Multilateralism”

FOI at the United Nations

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day Andreas spoke to IPS about a Freedom of Information procedure at the United Nations

Global Futures Forum

Andreas is a co-facilitator of the thematic track on UN & Global Governance innovation of the Global Futures Forum in March 2023 in New York

UN Rapporteur on Democracy

Quoted in this report: The UN should reinforce “its commitment to democratic rights and principles”. The creation of a Rapporteur on Democracy would be a “major step forward” in this regard.

Solidarity with Iranian protesters

Andreas is one of the numerous initial signatories of the international call for global solidarity with the Iranian freedom struggle. See here at Change.org.

Interview on a global parliament

Andreas Bummel was interviewed by Sapere Aude on the question of a global parliament. Published here at YouTube.

How Democracy Survives

Andreas’ contribution to the book “How Democracy Survives” elaborates on “Representation and participation of citizens at the UN”

Global People’s Assembly 2022

Andreas is quoted in this piece: “For me, the call for global democracy and a robust civic space is the key message of the people’s assembly.”

75 years Montreux Declaration

In this article Andreas reflects on the 1947 Montreux Declaration on federal world government. See also this YouTube recording.

Commemoration of June 4th

On June 4th, Andreas participated in a global online commemoration of the Tiananmen protests in China in 1989 and delivered a message of solidarity