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Join our campaign for a World Citizens’ Initiative and submit the form below to endorse our statement:

We the Peoples – It’s time to give citizens a voice at the UN

The biggest challenges facing us such as the pandemic, climate change, violent conflict and inequality are global and cross cutting in nature. They need collective responses from the international community. The UN is the key arena to make this happen.

As the UN celebrates its 75th anniversary, it’s time to give people a direct voice in its affairs. The UN’s legitimacy, relevance and ability to tackle contemporary challenges can be enhanced by making it more open and accessible to ordinary citizens.

As global citizens and as representatives of civil society from around the world, we urge the UN to establish the instrument of a World Citizens’ Initiative which will enable citizens to put forward proposals on key issues of global concern for discussion and further action at the highest political level. The UN should put any matter that reaches a certain threshold of support from people onto the agenda of the opening debate of each annual session of the General Assembly.

We firmly believe that the addition of the new instrument of a World Citizens’ Initiative will enhance the agency of citizens all over the globe, empowering them, the UN and its member states alike to tackle global challenges in our increasingly complex and interconnected world more effectively.

The time has come to give a voice to citizens of the world and realize the promise of the Preamble of the UN Charter which begins with the words, “We the Peoples of the United Nations”.

Add your support to our call and join our campaign! We are stronger together.

Update 23 April 2021: Signatures for this statement are now closed. Instead, please consider signing on to the joint civil society statement on inclusive global governance at wethepeoples.org.