The Week for World Parliament is an annual event celebrated for a week in October. During this week independent events worldwide are held to promote the establishment of a democratically elected world parliament.
These events are coordinated by a steering committee of three organizations, Democracy Without Borders, Democracia Global, and the Young World Federalists. If you have any questions or comments, write to
As global crises increase, people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, express their discontent with existing forms of political representation, which leave them voiceless in global decision-making.
We have many, many global problems. From the wrecking of our life-supporting ecosystems to the failure to protect human rights, incomplete nuclear disarmament, lack of regulation of global markets and financial systems, to overcoming socio-economic inequalities – these and many others are all global problems that require global solutions. But who is accountable for dealing with these problems from a truly global perspective?
In order to create global solutions we need a global political body that can facilitate global democratic discussions and take global decisions. Today, the world’s citizens have little influence on decisions taken at institutions such as the UN, the IMF, the WTO, the World Bank, the G20 or the G8. The governments represented in these bodies – bodies frequently made up by a small self-selected group – meet and decide our future, while often being influenced heavily by the lobbyists of global corporations. The primary concern of these governments is to defend what they consider to be in their national interests and not the common good of humanity and the environment.
Who should speak for the people of the world? The people should decide for themselves!
In a democratic order, citizens already elect representatives at multiple levels. There are city councils, provincial or state parliaments and national parliaments. In Europe there’s even a continental parliament. And yet for global matters that affect each and every person on the planet, there exists no elected world parliament.
A world parliament would be an instrument to find and implement solutions that are democratic, accountable and serve the best interest of humanity. It would reflect the social, political, religious, ethnical, and cultural variety of all the world’s citizens, transcending national boundaries.
We, the participants in this week of action, agree on the fundamental idea that the world’s citizens should vote for their world representatives. There are many different ideas about how a world parliament could function. Some of us believe that it should be enhanced with mechanisms allowing electronic and direct citizens participation. Yet, we are united in diversity, and united in our call:
Let the people decide. We need democracy without borders. We need to build global democracy. We need a world parliament!
The Week for World Parliament, called the Global Week of Action for a World Parliament, was launched in 2013 and coordinated by a group of individuals connected through social media, the world federalist movement, and the campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. Activities were carried out in around fifty cities in fifteen countries in the Global North and South.
