An international parliament or world parliament or supranational legislature is a theoretical or hypothetical concept that envisions a legislative body with representatives from different countries or sovereign entities, similar to a parliament but at international level for global governance, thus establishing a world government. It's a hybrid system of intergovernmentalism and supranationalism which could be based on a predecessor inter-parliamentary institution or a newly established organization-level legislature.
European Parliament
Main article: European ParliamentEuropean Parliament is the closest thing to an International parliament in current systems. Inter-parliamentary institutions generally do not have legislative powers; an exception is the European Parliament, which has legislative powers in the European Union. While the European Parliament does represent citizens from different EU member states, it is not a global or international parliament in the sense of representing countries from all over the world. So, while the European Parliament is a type of supranational parliament at the regional level, the broader idea of an international parliament that encompasses all countries globally is yet to be realized.
Transitional international parliament
Provisional World Parliament
Main article: Provisional World ParliamentThe Provisional World Parliament (PWP) is a transitional international parliament operating under the Constitution for the Federation of Earth, which emerged from the most comprehensive efforts made since late 1950s for the establishment of a world constitution and a democratic federal world government. In response to a world-wide call for a world constitutional convention, over 200 participants from 27 countries gathered in the sessions of the World Constitutional Convention and the Peoples World Parliament held in Interlaken, Switzerland, and Wolfach, Germany, in 1968. These sessions further held as World Constituent Assemblies in 1977, 1978-79 and 1991 and from them, a world constitution, Constitution for the Federation of Earth, was developed. Under this constitutional framework, the Provisional World Parliament convenes to work on global issues, gathering delegates from different countries.
Proposals
The idea of an international parliament or a world parliament has been around for many years, and various organizations and movements advocate for its establishment. The ultimate goal is to have a directly elected or representative global body that can address global challenges and promote peace, security, and sustainable development on a worldwide scale. Following are the few prominent proposals:
United Nations Parliamentary Assembly
Main article: United Nations Parliamentary AssemblyThe relationship between the UNPA and the concept of an "International Parliament" is that the UNPA would effectively serve as a form of international parliamentary body. It would bring together representatives from different countries to discuss global issues, propose resolutions, and offer recommendations to the existing UN bodies such as the General Assembly, the Security Council, and other specialized agencies.
See also
- Inter-Parliamentary Union
- Parliamentary assembly
- International Parliament for Safety and Peace
- List of legislatures by country
References
- "European Parliament – roles and powers | European Union". european-union.europa.eu. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- "Als Interlaken die heimliche Welthauptstadt war". Berner Zeitung (in German). 2018-08-29. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- "Global Strategies & Solutions : Preparing earth constitution". The Encyclopedia of World Problems. Union of International Associations. Retrieved 2023-07-15 – via uia.org.
- "World Parliament a necessity: CM". The Times of India. 2004-08-15. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- "Provisional World Parliament | UIA Yearbook Profile | Union of International Associations". uia.org. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- "The Guardian from London, Greater London, England". Newspapers.com. 1989-01-11. Retrieved 2023-07-31.