Article written by
Lorenza De Luna
Project and Fundraising Officer
Project status
Ongoing
In a time of globalisation and global challenges, multilateral institutions such as the United Nations have become crucial. At the same time, democratic participation at the global level has remained limited to the representation of nation states. We are calling for a democratic update of the UN.
Join us in our call for inclusive and democratic global governance!
The Campaign
We The Peoples is a global campaign, backed by more than 300 civil society organisations, to make the United Nations more democratic, inclusive and accountable. The campaign is headed jointly by Democracy International, Democracy Without Borders and CIVICUS, and calls for three democratic innovations at the UN:
- A UN World Citizens’ Initiative (UNWCI): A tool that allows citizens across the globe to place proposals directly on the agenda of the UN General Assembly or Security Council. A citizens’ committee from diverse regions would have 18 months to gather five million signatures worldwide. If successful, the proposal would be formally considered by the UN. The UNWCI would bring the United Nations closer to the people it serves, ensuring citizens have a direct say in shaping global decisions.
- A UN Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA): A new representative body at the UN that gives people a voice in international affairs. Unlike today’s system, where only governments speak, a UNPA would introduce parliamentary oversight and representation, ensuring that elected representatives can hold the UN accountable and speak directly for citizens in global governance.
- A UN Civil Society Envoy: An independent office to strengthen and coordinate the engagement of civil society at the UN. Civil society organisations already play a vital role in advancing democracy, human rights and sustainable development, but their access to decision-making at the UN is limited. A UN Civil Society Envoy would provide a permanent channel to ensure civil society voices are heard.
The idea is simple but powerful: in times of climate breakdown, pandemics and conflict, citizens and civil society must be able to participate meaningfully in the decisions that shape their lives. While the UN is not the only arena of global governance, it remains the one that is the most important and representative of humanity. This is why we have focused our campaign on UN-specific proposals.
Momentum for these reforms has grown since 2019. During the UN’s 75th anniversary in 2020, 1.5 million people contributed to a global consultation calling for a more participatory UN, with the UNWCI explicitly highlighted as a key proposal. In 2021, the We The Peoples campaign was launched to advance these three pillars together. Today, with endorsements from leading organisations such as Avaaz, Greenpeace, ActionAid and the Open Society Foundations, the campaign represents a growing global movement for a more democratic United Nations.
These reforms would help realise the UN Charter’s opening words—“We the Peoples of the United Nations”—by giving citizens and civil society real influence at the global level.
