Andreas Bummel kicked off the dialogue at a meeting of the UN Committee of Parliamentarians for Global Action in New York
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 coordinates the Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly.
He is also one of the founders and convenors of the campaign for inclusive global governance, “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, that has been supported by over 1,600 members of parliament from over 120 countries. As the Campaign’s coordinator, Andreas among other things organized the international meetings on a UN Parliamentary Assembly that were held in 2007 in Geneva, 2008 in Brussels, 2009 in New York, 2010 in Buenos Aires, and 2013 again in Brussels.
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 know 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 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.
Parliamentarians for Global Action
Nairobi UN conference
Andreas Bummel was a member of the Experts Sub-Committee of the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi convened in May and spoke at the event
Interview with CIVICUS
In an interview with CIVICUS Andreas elaborated on the shortcomings of global governance and civil society reform proposals
Yale Global Justice Program
Andreas spoke online at the Yale University Global Justice Program presenting the proposed UN Parliamentary Assembly in connection with structural change
East & West podcast
In this podcast Andreas talks about global citizenship, a global polity, common values, democratic principles, a global parliament, peace and war, the containment of authoritarian governments and much more.
UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy
On 20 November 2023, an international call for a UN Rapporteur on Democracy was published which Andreas helped organize. He is quoted in this article.
International poll
A 15-country-survey showed significant support for a world parliament and world law. Read Andreas’ report and comment here.
UN Charter revision
Andreas participated in an international study group that examined principles and proposals for a “second” UN Charter. The results are summarized in this document (PDF).
A selection of recent photos.
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
At the 2024 Copenhagen Democracy Summit
Meeting of the study group on a “Second Charter” in Madrid, Jan. 2024