Democracy Without Borders

📢 JOIN US! Two-part webinar: DEMOCRATIZING GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: CITIZEN POWER IN THE EU AND THE UN, organized by Universidad ORT Uruguay and CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation 📆 Wednesday 27 November ⏱ 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 16:00 (UTC-3) 📍 Zoom In the first session we'll discuss participatory democracy at the EU level with Eleonora Poli, PhD (Centro Politiche Europee), Ophélie Masson (European Alternatives), Elisa Lironi (ECAS - European Citizen Action Service) and Daniela Vancic (Democracy International). In the second session we'll discuss initiatives for UN reform with Rodrigo Lima Faliveni (Democracy Without Borders), Rebecca Shoot (Citizens for Global Solutions), Sigrid Kromann Schiøler (Global Focus), Oluseyi Babatunde Oyebisi (Nigeria Network of NGOs) and Jesselina Rana (CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation). 📝 Register here ➡https://lnkd.in/dRBiQx5n

Join the Wits School of Governance for an engaging dialogue titled “Global Democracy and the United Nations Summit of the Future – What Next?”. The panellist will reflect on the United Nations Summit of the Future. This pivotal discussion also marks the official launch of the South African chapter of Democracy Without Borders. -Date: Monday, 25 November 2024 -Time: 12:00 PM -Venue: Smart Classroom, Albert Wessels Building, 2 St David’s Place, Parktown Management Campus for the hybrid Option you can join us on Zoom. Link to Register: https://lnkd.in/dZBafCKr Let’s explore the future of global democracy and shape the conversations that matter. See you there! #WitsSchoolofGovernance #DemocracyWithoutBorders #GovernanceMatters #UNSummitoftheFuture 

The Pact for the Future adopted by the UN Summit of the Future on 22 September 2024 rightfully states that the multilateral system with the UN at its center “must be fit for the present and the future – effective and capable, prepared for the future, just, democratic, equitable and representative of today’s world, inclusive, interconnected and financially stable.” However, our Executive Director Andreas Bummel in an opinion piece finds that the Pact’s commitments "overall do not deliver on these goals". "At least in the field of enhancing participation and representation of citizens, elected representatives and civil society in global governance, it is clear that the Summit delivered only minimal progress", he writes. This was not a surprise, though, because the Pact was required to be negotiated by consensus, giving even single states the ability to "stop language" they disliked. The Pact thus merely represents the lowest common denominator. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eAFw2tRr Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ekPGH6bx #SummitoftheFuture #Multilateralism

In the margins of the UN’s Summit of the Future, the “1 for 8 Billion” campaign on 20 September 2024 launched a new policy platform, demanding that after 80 years it was time for the first woman to serve as UN Secretary-General. While the Summit’s outcome document, the Pact for the Future, merely encouraged Member States “to consider nominating women as candidates”, the campaign calls on governments to refrain from nominating any male candidates in the next selection process, expected to begin in late next year. The new platform also calls for a fair, open and inclusive selection process. Read more about it on our blog: https://lnkd.in/eqG67Aae Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ekPGH6bx #NextSG #MadameSG

In case you missed it: a second expanded and updated edition of our book "A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century" by Andreas Bummel and Jo Leinen is now available. The book explores the history, relevance and implementation of the idea of a world parliament and is based on more than two decades of research and advocacy. The new edition reflects significant developments since the original publication. It incorporates linguistic improvements, updated content, extensive revisions, and additions throughout the book. The size has increased by approximately one fifth, now expanding over 556 pages. "In an interconnected global civilization, global decision-making and management are inherently necessary and all people need an equal opportunity to have a say. A world parliament is the institution that makes this possible," the authors explain. In their vision, "global governance will evolve into global government through a process of democratic revolution and political integration. This represents the third democratic transformation in human history." The book can be ordered at a bookstore of your choice as e-book, paperback and hardcover edition. PDF, EPUB and Paperback editions are also available via our website. Visit the book's page here: https://lnkd.in/gs4kSpqt Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ekPGH6bx #WorldParliament #GlobalDemocracy

A comprehensive effort to engage citizens worldwide on the occasion of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference in November 2025 in Brazil, also referred to as COP30, was announced last month in New York. Hosted by Iswe Foundation, the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group , and the New York Society for Ethical Culture, an event on September 23 marked the launch of a “Global Citizens’ Assembly for People and Planet” and a coalition of around 40 organizations who are supporting the project, among them Democracy Without Borders. Iswe's plan is to convene a global core assembly made up of 300 people “selected by civic lottery, demographically representative of the global population” as well as a “large number of smaller local deliberations”. Read more on our blog: https://lnkd.in/e8NE9AEM Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ekPGH6bx #COP30 #Climate #CitizensAssembly

Global Democracy and the United Nations: The Summit of the Future – What Next?  Register at https://lnkd.in/dpi57_Qf to join the public dialogue hosted by the Institute for Justice Reconciliation & Democracy Without Borders on 27 November 2024, 17h00 to 18h30 at #IJR, 105 Hatfield St, Gardens, Cape Town. On 22-23 September 2024, the United Nations convened a Summit of the Future and adopted a Pact for the Future that was said to be a “once in a generation” opportunity to “forge a new global consensus” on what humanity’s “future should look like”. This event will provide a critical analysis from the vantage point of global democracy and a transformation of global governance. It will discuss democratic representation and participation at the UN, global democracy promotion as well as the (potential) role of South African foreign policy in these fields. Finally, it is an opportunity to present the 2nd edition of the book “A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century” with co-author Andreas Bummel in attendance. This event is in-person only. Use the link https://lnkd.in/dpi57_Qf to register.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance International IDEA released their annual Global State of Democracy report on 17 September 2024. The Stockholm-based intergovernmental institute describes the global democratic landscape as “in a state of persistent decline, with no signs of immediate recovery.” According to the report, 2023 was one of the worst years for democracy in the past decade, especially in terms of free and fair elections and parliamentary oversight. Overall, 47% of the 173 countries covered in this study experienced a democratic decline, whereas 30% made advances. However, recent elections in countries like Brazil, Poland, or Senegal offer evidence that "democratic recovery is still possible", the study indicates. Read our full summary here: https://lnkd.in/gDAyFaSw Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ekPGH6bx #GSoD2024 #GlobalDemocracy

On the occasion of the Summit of the Future in New York, voices were raised in favor of a revision of the United Nations Charter. While the so-called Pact for the Future adopted by the Summit acknowledges the need for a “transformation of global governance”, it does not elaborate on this possibility. However, on the first day of the annual general debate of the UN, the Brazilian President Lula da Silva called for a comprehensive "reviewing and revising" of the Charter, a demand also expressed in a joint opinion piece published by a group of individuals involved in the new civil society Coalition for UN Charter Reform at Al Jazeera, among them the Executive Director of Democracy Without Borders. Furthermore, a full draft proposal for a revision of the Charter was presented at an event last week in New York. It had been worked out over the course of two years by a study group convened by the Global Governance Forum. Finally, the subject was also raised at a Summit of the Future side event titled "What's next in Global Governance?" co-organized by various partners, including Democracy Without Borders. From the perspective of Democracy Without Borders, more effective, accountable and democratic global governance is necessary to deliver better for the world's people. Read more in our report: https://lnkd.in/etfwsxN6 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ekPGH6bx #SummitoftheFuture #UNGA79

The Pact for the Future adopted at the UN's Summit of the Future this weekend acknowledges the need of a transformation of global governance. An opinion piece published today notes that the Summit "failed to deliver the radical change the world needs to truly live up to the UN objectives to maintain peace and security and achieve international cooperation in solving collective problems." In order to do so, the groundwork needs to be laid for a reform of the UN's founding document, the UN Charter, the article argues. Among other things, "a new charter could introduce a parliamentary assembly made up of representatives elected by the people of the world, giving them a say in the way world affairs are run and ushering in a whole new era of inclusion and representation." The piece is co-authored by Heba Aly, Coordinator of the UN Charter Reform Coalition; Brenda Mofya, head of Oxfam International’s UN Office; Andreas Bummel, Executive Director of Democracy Without Borders; Tim Murithi, head of the Peacebuilding Programme at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation; Augusto Lopez-Claros, Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum; and Fergus Watt, Coordinator of the Coalition for the UN We Need. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ewK3J5vk Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ekPGH6bx #SummitoftheFuture #PactfortheFuture