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It is with great pleasure that I send this greeting to the organizations and activists who have joined forces to work for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly.

States and societies all over the world are increasingly influenced by forces that far exceed the ability of an individual state and even groups of states to control. Some of these forces are per se uncontrollable, such as the globalization of the economy and communication. Problems that can only be effectively solved at the global level are multiplying and the need for political control across national borders is increasing accordingly.

It is inevitable that decisions must increasingly be taken globally. One consequence, however, is that democracy will also lose importance within the individual states if the process of democratization is not continued on an international level. We must advance the democratization of globalization before globalization destroys the foundations of national and international democracy.

The establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly has become an indispensable step towards democratic control of globalization. Complementary to international democracy between states, which also needs to be further developed, a UN parliament would promote global democracy above the state level and give citizens a voice in global affairs.

As the campaign's appeal rightly states, a UN Parliamentary Assembly could also become a catalyst for a comprehensive reform of the international system. I would particularly like to emphasize that it should become a force for democratic control of the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO.

We can't just dream or wait for someone else to make our dreams come true. We ourselves must act now. In this sense, I reaffirm your commitment to a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. Once established, it would make a decisive contribution to strengthening democracy at all levels. 

16 May 2007