In August 2024, a second expanded and updated edition of Andreas’ book “A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century” was published. Learn more about it here.
A World Parliament
Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century
Explore the history, relevance and implementation of a monumental idea that can pave the way to a peaceful, just and sustainable world. A book by Andreas Bummel and Jo Leinen.
The updated and revised second edition of 2024 expands the size by around one fifth to 541 pages. Available as paperback, hardcover, ebook and PDF.
"A great gift to humanity.” – Richard Falk
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Andreas Bummel is best known for his advocacy of a world parliament.
He is founder and Executive Director of Democracy Without Borders which advocates for a UN Parliamentary Assembly as a key goal.
He is also one of the founders and convenors of an international campaign promoting public participation at the UN, “We The Peoples”.
His book “A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century” (with Jo Leinen) is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of the vision and project of a global parliament. An updated second edition was published in 2024.
Since 2023, Andreas is also championing the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy.
Andreas was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1976 and moved with his family to a town close to Frankfurt am Main in West Germany at the age of six. As a child he was terrified by the possibility of all-out nuclear war between East and West that seemed all too real. The victory over apartheid in South Africa and the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, left a deep emotional impression on him.
Feeling as a global citizen and horrified by the inability of the United Nations to stop the genocides in Bosnia from 1992 on and in Rwanda in 1994, he became involved with the World Federalist Movement, WFM, an international non-governmental organization that was established in 1947 and which is devoted to strengthening of the global rule of law and democracy. One of WFM’s prime objectives was the creation of the International Criminal Court. From 1995 to 2021 the organization has been running the international NGO coalition working on creating and strengthening the court. Andreas served on WFM’s council from 1998-2018.
In 1997, Andreas became involved with the Society for Threatened Peoples, STP, one of Germany’s largest human rights organizations. STP was one of the first groups that called for international action to stop the genocide and “ethnic cleansing” in Bosnia. The organization advocates the cause of minorities throughout the world. From 1998 until 2008 Andreas served as an advisor on UN issues. In 2009 as well as from 2017-2019 he was a board member.
Together with a group of world federalists Andreas established the Committee for a Democratic United Nations, KDUN, in 2003. According to the Committee’s founding declaration, the members “are united in the vision of a world in which the rule of law, democracy, subsidiarity, federalism, human rights and peace are globally institutionalized and guaranteed.”
In 2007, KDUN together with numerous partners around the world launched the international Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, CUNPA, which is being coordinated by Andreas since.
From 2001-2006 Andreas worked as an analyst at a management consultancy firm. Previously, he was trained in business administration and worked at a global pharmaceutical group in the department responsible for quality management.
Apart from his work and his other activities, Andreas enrolled in the Law School of the University of Mainz and specialized in international law and corporate law.
In 2001 and 2002 he was a scholar of the Deutsche Studienstiftung which sponsors students of outstanding academic achievements. Andreas eventually abandoned university without graduation in order to concentrate on his political work. Since 2006, he is a full-time political activist devoted to the cause of global democracy and world federalism.
In 2015 the Society for Threatened Peoples awarded him the association’s honorary membership. He is a member of the advisory board of the World Government Research Network, WGRN, that was launched in the same year and aims to advance the academic dialogue on global political integration.
Under the leadership of Andreas KDUN was transformed and merged into the international civil society organization Democracy Without Borders, DWB, in 2017.
In addition to advocating a world parliament, DWB is committed to the promotion of global citizenship and democracy in general.
Andreas is a co-founder of the Campaign for a UN World Citizens’ Initiative that DWB launched in collaboration with Democracy International and CIVICUS in 2019. In 2021, this collaboration resulted in the international civil society call for inclusive global governance that was endorsed by leading groups from across the world. It is now known as “We The Peoples” campaign. Since 2023, he is also championing the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy.
Since 2023, Andreas is a member of an international study group that drafted a “Second Charter” for the United Nations. In 2025, he co-authored a policy paper recommending the UN should use Global Citizens’ Assemblies to gather public input.
In 2018 Andreas published the book “A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century” (with Jo Leinen) which describes the history, relevance and implementation of a global parliament. An updated and extended edition appeared in 2024. The original edition is also published in German and in Japanese.
📌 2nd expanded & updated edition
Democracy and the UN discussed in Oslo
Andreas was co-host of a Round Table discussion on a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy in the margins of the Oslo Freedom Forum
On the UN80 reform process
Commenting on the UN Secretary-General’s UN80 reform process, Andreas said that “What the UN needs is a rethink. A rethink of how it is funded, how it functions, and how it connects with the people it is meant to serve.”
Panel on the UN’s 80th anniversary
Andreas was one of the speakers at an expert online panel (in German) discussing the state and future of the UN on the occasion of its 80th anniversary in 2025, organized by the Austrian political scientist Josef Mühlbauer.
Copenhagen Democracy Summit
Andreas attended the 2025 Copenhagen Democracy Summit and participated in side events organized by the World Liberty Congress, among other things
Global Citizens’ Assemblies
Andreas is a co-author of a new policy brief on implementing Global Citizens’ Assemblies which was presented at a webinar
“A World Parliament” available in Japanese
The original edition of Andreas’ book has now been published by Akashi Shoten in Japanese. Find it here.
A selection of recent photos.
With Mathias Koenig-Archibugi and Daniele Archibugi at LSE, May 2025
With Leopoldo López and Carine Karimba of the World Liberty Congress, May 2025
With the founding board members of Democracy Without Borders-South Africa in Johannesburg, November 2024
With Gina Romero at the Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy, Johannesburg, November 2024
With Niranjan Sahoo and Vladimir Kara-Murza at Forum 2000 in Prague, October 2024
Speaking at the presentation of the “Second Charter”, Sept. 2024 in New York
Participating in the UN Summit of the Future, September 2024 in New York
With Nudhara Yussuf, Co-Chair of the UN Civil Society Conference 2024, in Nairobi