A/HRC/24/38 mechanism requires Charter reform. Former United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has been an advocate of such an assembly. In a comment published at OpenDemocracy, Boutros-Ghali made the case for the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations. In order to solve global crises more effectively, a “direct democratic connection between the world’s citizens and the world’s governance needs to be created”. He welcomed the expansion of democracy at the national level throughout the world, observing that emerging States are increasingly included in global intergovernmental deliberations. He noted, “a third dimension of democratization is almost completely neglected: Developing global democracy beyond States”.80 Johan Galtung, founder of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, wrote “For anyone who believes in democracy — rule by the consent of the ruled – a world democracy is part of it. A democratic United Nations with an evolving world parliamentary assembly is the way to go.” 81 Indeed, global decisions would have greater legitimacy through citizen input and involvement, if the General Assembly represented people as well as States. 50. Other civil society initiatives that deserve support are: P.E.N. International’s 2012 Declaration on Digital Freedom82; the 2008 Appel de Blois,83 issued by Liberté Pour l’Histoire; the World Forum of Alternative’s Universal Declaration for the Common Good of Humanity84 of 15 March 201385; and the International Association of Democratic Lawyer’s Paris Declaration of 25 May 2013.86 VI. Conclusions and recommendations 51. Resolution 18/6 created a broad mandate aimed at the convergence of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. Each country is urged to take one step forward and review obstacles to democratic processes and equity and implement targeted measures that will enhance participation by all persons under its jurisdiction. This requires a change of paradigm and mindset, goodwill and self-criticism. Complacency is invariably an obstacle to progress. 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 16 See http://en.unpacampaign.org/news/379.php; Joseph Schwartzberg writes in Creating a World Parliamentary Assembly, “Our increasingly interdependent world can no longer function without an effective UN system. But for a variety of reasons –mainly related to the obsolescent mindsets and dubious diplomatic practices of a world still guided mainly be Realpolitik—a large proportion of the human family has lost faith in the UN… A democratically constituted WPA will go far toward correcting these deficiencies and would do much to promote more legitimate, transparent, representative, accountable and responsive governance at the national, as well as at the international level. Providing the diverse strands of humankind, in whose interests the UN was founded, with a meaningful voice in making the decisions that will shape their destiny will do more to legitimize the global organization than any other reform I can think of” (p. 96). Saul Mendlovitz and Barbara Walker (eds.) A Reader on Second Assembly and Parliamentary Proposals, Centre for UN Reform Education, Wayne, New Jersey, United States, 2003. See also Dieter Heinrich, The Case for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, World Federalist Movement, Amsterdam 1992; and Andreas Bummel, The Composition of a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations, Berlin 2010. Quoted in Schwartzberg, p. 6. Adopted at the 78th PEN Annual Congress in the Republic of Korea 2012, http://www.peninternational.org/pen-declaration-on-digital-freedom/. See annexes, http://www.lphasso.fr/index.php?Itemid=14&id=47&lang=fr&option=com_content&view=article. See http://www.especieenpeligro.cult.cu/index.php/debates-y-alternativas/articulos/1521-universaldeclaration-for-the. See http://www.forumdesalternatives.org/en/universal-declaration-for-the-common-good-ofhumanity-project. See http://www.iadllaw.org/.