Open letter on the occasion of the Summit of the Future

Civil society letter to UN Member States on inclusive and accountable global governance

This letter was endorsed by the civil society groups listed below. Sign this petition to support the letter!

12 September 2024

Excellencies,

We are a diverse group of organisations and networks united by a common cause: we believe there must be no more delay in making global governance more inclusive and accountable.

The UN Charter is proclaimed in the name of “We the Peoples of the United Nations”, yet, too often, the voices of the world’s people are shut out. The world is facing a series of compounding crises, which are global and intergenerational. The exclusive nature of the United Nations dramatically limits its ability and legitimacy to mobilise effective collective action to confront the critical challenges of today and tomorrow in the best interest of all.

On the occasion of the UN’s 75th anniversary, the UN’s Member States emphasised the importance of listening and responding to the concerns and aspirations of the world’s people. The second revision of Pact for the Future, to be adopted at the UN’s Summit of the Future on 22-23 September 2024, suggests that they plan to renew their commitment to making the multilateral system more “inclusive to allow for the meaningful participation of relevant stakeholders”.

To date, however, few tangible steps have been taken to turn these commitments into action and the draft Pact does not identify specific measures to do so. The UN’s initiatives to open its doors to the world’s people should be predictable, systematic, representative, and meaningful.

At the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference on 9-10 May 2024 we identified four priority measures in this field which enjoy considerable support from a broad range of stakeholders:

  • A permanent Global Citizens’ Assembly which would give ordinary citizens, selected by civic lottery to be representative of the world’s population, a say on pressing global challenges.
  • A World Citizens’ Initiative, which would enable people to put proposals on the agenda of the UN General Assembly if they get a certain number of signatures globally.
  • A UN Parliamentary Assembly, which would include sitting members of national parliaments or directly elected representatives in the work of the UN and act as a watchdog that reflects a broad diversity of global viewpoints.
  • A UN Civil Society Envoy, which would enable greater participation, spur inclusive convenings and amplify the UN’s outreach to civil society, other major stakeholders, and the public.

On the occasion of the Summit of the Future, which is intended to mark a “new beginning in international cooperation”, we call on all UN Member States to support the implementation of these proposals as a way to fulfil their stated commitments and to rebuild trust in the multilateral system. Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the UN in 2025, we call on UN Member States to put in place an open and inclusive process for this purpose.

Signatories

In alphabetical order

  1. Accountability Lab, USA/South Africa
  2. Accountability Lab Nigeria, Nigeria
  3. Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA) – CSOs Network, Nigeria
  4. AfroLeadership, Cameroon
  5. Agora, Mexico
  6. Amis des Etrangers au Togo (ADET), Togo
  7. Appui Solidaire Pour Le Renforcement De L Aide Au Developpement, Mali
  8. Arab Center for Cyberspace Research (ACCR), Egypt
  9. Asia Democracy Network (ADN), South Korea
  10. Asia Development Alliance , Thailand
  11. Asociación Centro de Capacitación y Promoción de la Democracia (CECADE), El Salvador.
  12. Asociación de Trabajadoras del Hogar a Domicilio y de Maquila (ATRAHDOM), Gutemala
  13. Asociacion Educativa Hispanoamericana, Peru
  14. Asociación Para Una Vida Mejor (APUVIMEH), Honduras
  15. Asociatia GEYC, Romania
  16. Association d’Aide à l’Education de l’Enfant Handicapé ( AAEEH), France
  17. Association de Lutte Contre les Violences Sexuelles et Appui à la Promotion du Développement Durable (ALUCOVIS-APDD), Burundi
  18. Association des Volontaires pour l’Environnement Sain, Togo
  19. Association for Farmers Rights Defense, AFRD, Georgia
  20. Association For Promotion Sustainable Development, India
  21. Association My Contribution, Burkina Faso
  22. Association of World Citizens, USA/France
  23. Asuntos del Sur, Argentina
  24. Atlas, Belgium/International
  25. Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication, Bangladesh
  26. Bareedo Platform Somalia, Somalia
  27. Bunge Mashinani Organization, Kenya
  28. Center for Global Nonkilling, USA
  29. Center for Peace Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Nigeria
  30. Center for UN Constitutional Research, Belgium
  31. Center of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, Yemen
  32. Centre for Human Rights and Climate Change Research , Nigeria
  33. Centre for Muslim Youth in Peace and Development, Ghana
  34. Centro Mexicano de Responsabilidad Global CEMERG A.C., Mexico
  35. Citizen OS Foundation, Estonia
  36. Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS), USA
  37. Ciudadanía Inteligente, Chile
  38. Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS), Netherlands
  39. Co-design Tools, Australia
  40. Coalition for the UN We Need, USA/International
  41. Coglobal, Spain
  42. Consejo Chileno de Prospectiva y Estrategia, Chile
  43. Conservation Alive Kenya, Kenya
  44. Democracy International, Germany/International
  45. Democracy School gUG, Germany
  46. Democracy Today, Armenia
  47. Democracy Without Borders, Germany/International
  48. Digital Agenda for Tanzania Initiative, Tanzania
  49. Dr Uzo Adirieje Foundation (DUZAFOUND), Nigeria
  50. Dreamocracy, Belgium
  51. Ecology Africa Foundation, South Africa
  52. Education for All Coalition, USA
  53. Emonyo Yefwe International, Kenya
  54. Empower India, India
  55. Environmental Defense Fund, USA
  56. Facultad de Ciencia Política y Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina
  57. Federation for Innovation in Democracy – North America, Brussels
  58. Fondazione Proclade Internazionale ONLUS, Italy
  59. Foundation of Peace, Spain
  60. Freedom Forum, Nepal
  61. Friends of Franbarnie International, Liberia
  62. Fundacja Pole Dialogu (Field of Dialogue Foundation), Poland
  63. Global Call to Action against Poverty-Liberia, Liberia
  64. Global Governance Innovation Network, USA
  65. Global Participe, DRC
  66. Greenpeace, International
  67. Healthcare Rehabilitation and Research Initiative , Nigeria
  68. Inclusive Education for Sustainable Development (IESD), Zambia
  69. Indonesian Club, Indonesia
  70. Innovation for Policy Foundation, Mauritius
  71. Institut du Nouveau Monde, Canada
  72. International Center for the Study, Prevention and Treatment of MultiGenarational Legacies of Trauma, USA
  73. International Presentation Association, Ireland
  74. International Youth Alliance for Family Planning, USA
  75. IRUKA Africa Foundation, Nigeria
  76. IRUKA Foundation , USA
  77. ISIZIBA Community Based Organizations of South Africa, South Africa
  78. Iswe Foundation, UK/International
  79. JAKI (Jaringan Aktivis Kemanusiaan International – IHAN, International Humanitarian Activista Network), Indonesia
  80. Jaymore Youth And Family Foundation, Nigeria
  81. JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), France
  82. Juventude Negra Política (JNP), Brazil/Latin America
  83. Kesho Yetu Initiative, Kenya
  84. Kijiji Yeetu, Kenya
  85. Kurdish organizations Network Coalition for the International Criminal Court (KONCICC), Iraq
  86. Kurdistan without Genocide, Iraq
  87. League of Women Voters of the United States, USA
  88. Live in Green, Uganda
  89. Morya Samajik Pratishthan, India
  90. Movement for Environmental Action (MEA), Malawi
  91. Movimento Federalista Europeo, Italy
  92. MY World Mexico: Hub of Action for Sustainable Development, Mexico
  93. Naanyu CBO, Kenya
  94. National Campaign for Sustainable Development Nepal, Nepal
  95. Next Generation Global Connect, Ethiopia
  96. Nyt Europa, Denmark
  97. Office of the Youth in Maritime (YIMO), Philippines
  98. One World Trust, UK
  99. Organisation de Développement des Recherches Agricole et la Protection de la Nature, DRC
  100. Organisation paysanne pour le développement durable, DRC
  101. Organization of the Justice Campaign‏ (OJC), Iraq
  102. Pan Pacific and South East Asia Women’s Association, USA
  103. Panos Institute Southern Africa, Zambia
  104. Participedia, Canada
  105. Pathways Policy Institute, Kenya
  106. Peace For Sustainable Development East and Horn of Africa , Somalia
  107. Peace Heritage Foundation, Nigeria
  108. People Powered, USA
  109. People’s Federation for National Peace and Development (PEFENAP), Malawi
  110. Phenomenal Youths Association , Zambia
  111. Plataforma CIPÓ, Brazil/International
  112. Pugwash Croatia, Croatia
  113. Reacción Climática, Bolivia
  114. Reseaau Nigerien des Defenseurs des Droits Humains (RNDDH), Niger
  115. Resilient40, Uganda
  116. Safe Environmental Organization CBO, Kenya
  117. Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, Nigeria
  118. School of Civic Education, UK
  119. Sinatsisa Lubombo Women and Girls Empowerment Organization, Eswatini
  120. Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Italy
  121. Smarter Together, Belgium
  122. Sortition Foundation, United Kingdom
  123. South Asian Federalists, India/International
  124. Southern Voice , Peru
  125. Stichting Mission Lanka, Netherlands
  126. Students for Global Democracy Uganda, Uganda
  127. Sudanese Community Refugees Organization, Sudan
  128. The Americans for Democratic Action Foundation of Southern California, USA
  129. The Global Sunrise Project , Canada
  130. The Green Institute, Australia
  131. The Life campaign to abolish the death sentence in Kurdistan (LDS), Iraq
  132. The McGill Youth Advisory Delegation, Canada
  133. The Populace Foundation International (TPFI), Uganda
  134. Tinker Institute on International Law and Organizations, USA
  135. Tournons La Page, France
  136. Trees Initiative Sustainable Agriculture, Kenya
  137. Tripla Difesa Onlus Guardie Sicurezza Sociale ed Eco Zoofila , Italy
  138. Tumaini CBO, Kenya
  139. Uganda Peace Foundation, Uganda
  140. UNISC International, Japan
  141. United Nations Association Harpenden , UK
  142. United Nations Association-UK, UK
  143. Université Beesley Revol , Haïti
  144. WeQ Institute, Germany
  145. Willy Obrist Development Research Institute, Austria
  146. World Citizens Association of Australia, Australia
  147. World Dream Day, USA
  148. World Federalist Movement – Canada, Canada
  149. World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy, USA/International
  150. World Peace Alliance, UK
  151. World Service Authority, USA/International
  152. World Without Chemical and Biological Weapons (WWW), Iraq
  153. WorldReach Rights and Climate Center, Uganda
  154. Yali RDC, DRC
  155. Young European Federalists, Belgium
  156. Youth and Women for Change in Eswatini, Eswatini
  157. Youth for Change Initiative , Nigeria
  158. Youth Transforming Africa Narrative (YOTAN), Liberia


    Further endorsements chronologically

  159. deliberAIde, Germany
  160. Sotgiu, Italia
  161. Marea Deliberativa, Spain
  162. European Alternatives, France
  163. Bureau Burgerberaad, The Netherlands
  164. Association “Institute Perspectives”, Bulgaria
  165. ALVA-Albanian Values, Albania
  166. Glassroots, Belgium
  167. Make.org, France
  168. DD Foundation, Center for Democracy, Estonia
The open letter was initiated by Democracy Without Borders, Democracy International and Iswe Foundation