A/HRC/39/47 participate in decision-making is not restricted to local affairs but extends to global institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, IMF and WTO, where the right to be heard should be upheld. The mandate holder is aware that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has noted that human rights, democracy and the rule of law are as much a part of the United Nations brand as peacekeeping and development assistance and that people are demanding respect of the rule of law, including full participation in decisions that affected their lives. 5 The mandate holder is also aware that there is a significant body of world opinion that contends that citizens should participate beyond national boundaries as major public decisions are increasingly being taken beyond the nation State. 19. In this respect, the Independent Expert intends to examine how the right to participate in public affairs could be better realized in multilateral forums, such as through exploration of how the Human Rights Committee’s general comment No. 25 (1996) on participation in public affairs and the right to vote and the draft guidelines on the effective implementation of the right to participate in public affairs which the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to prepare for presentation to the Council at its thirty-ninth session6 could be applied to multilateral spheres. At present, for example, the General Assembly is composed of government representatives, with limited space for civil society. In addition, despite provisions in articles 7 and 8 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women recognizing the right of women to participate not only in public and political life on a national level but also in representative capacities at the international level, the highest-ever percentages of women representatives to the Security Council and the General Assembly were about 27 and 19 per cent, respectively, in 2016.7 Further, given the impact of international decision-making on a broad cross-section of populations, the previous mandate holder has expressed support for global public opinion polling on such matters as peace, the environment and the common heritage of mankind. He has also expressed support for the inclusion of citizens in the global decision-making body through the establishment of a United Nations parliamentary assembly. The Independent Expert would like to engage stakeholders on the progress and viability of creating such mechanisms whereby the perspectives of civil society, and those of other alternative voices, can be taken into account in the global decision-making structures. 20. Whereas multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, WTO and the Bretton Woods institutions have shaped the international economic system, more needs to be done to make them more responsive and inclusive; this is critical to enable these agencies to address current global challenges. The Independent Expert is aware of efforts by the World Bank and IMF to engage with civil society to achieve legitimacy and increase development effectiveness. 8 As global institutions, they have an obligation to make decisions in accordance with such basic principles of democratic governance as transparency, inclusivity, responsiveness and accountability. Participation in decision-making requires that all stakeholders have the opportunity to influence and share control over development initiatives and the decisions and resources that affect their lives. 21. The Independent Expert would like to build on previous work in these areas and engage stakeholders on the progress made in promoting inclusive multilateral institutions, with a consequent look at how that has affected a democratic and equitable international order. 5 6 7 8 6 Speech by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the meeting of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination at its second regular session of 2011. See Human Rights Council resolution 33/22. UN News, “Feature: A conversation with female ambassadors about the UN Security Council”, 17 March 2016. Victoria Kwakwa, “Multilateralism for an inclusive world”, World Bank, 1 November 2017.