KIIT and KISS founder and Rajya Sabha member Dr Achyuta Samanta is now credited as one in the 33-member international Parliamentarian group, which is campaigning for creation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) to strengthen the democratic representation of the world’s citizens in global affairs and the UN’s decision-making as well.
The group called on the UN Secretary General, the President of the General Assembly, the heads of States and Governments and their Foreign Ministers as well as the representatives of UN member states in New York to initiate and support necessary steps in preparation of a meaningful UN reform summit in 2020 and towards the creation of a UNPA.
They warned the UN that the multilateral order and democracy are under attack and businesses as usual, and lofty rhetoric are not sufficient to counter this threat. “Despite many warnings and recommendations, not much has been done to prepare the UN for this challenge. The time for complacency and complaints is over. Now courageous leadership is needed,” they said in a statement.
When the international campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) was launched 11 years ago, the campaign’s patron, the then UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali had said, “We need to promote the democratisation of globalisation, before globalisation destroys the foundations of democracy.”
The international Parliamentarian group has invited MPs from across the world to join the group for a UNPA in order to strengthen and coordinate efforts.
Besides Samanta, MPs from 20 countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Ghana, South Africa, Argentina, Scotland, Greece, etc. are members of the group.