World Federalist Movement – Canada

World Federalist Reading (December 2017)

January 2018

Four books explore UN reform, global peace through law, federalism as a political theory, and war crimes prosecution. The selections highlight key themes in global governance and world federalism.

Update from the ICRtoP: recent developments on the Responsibility to Protect at the United Nations (December 2017)

January 2018

by Brittany Roser

The UN General Assembly included Responsibility to Protect on its formal agenda. This marks progress for mainstreaming the norm within the UN system.

Update: The Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (December 2017)

January 2018

by Lisa Schüller

Endorsements for a UN Parliamentary Assembly passed 1,500 legislators in 2017, with fresh backing from the Pan-African Parliament, the European Parliament and others. The UN’s 75th anniversary in 2020 is seen as the moment to put it on the agenda.

Restoring Faith in the UN (December 2017)

January 2018

by Bill Pearce

The UN General Assembly invoked the Uniting for Peace resolution to address Syria’s chemical attacks. The mechanism allows action when the Security Council is blocked by veto power.

The proposal for a Latin American and Caribbean Criminal Court against Transnational Organized Crime reaches the United Nations General Assembly (December 2017)

January 2018

by Florencia Gor

Argentina’s vice president has taken a proposed regional criminal court against organized crime to the UN General Assembly. The world’s most violent region, with a homicide rate four times the global average, needs cooperation that national governments acting alone cannot provide.

The Prevention Up Front Alliance: Strengthening civil society capacity to prevent armed conflict (December 2017)

January 2018

by Jelena Pia-Comella

The Prevention Up Front Alliance advances conflict prevention through civil society. The alliance links GPPAC, CICC, and ICRtoP with the Netherlands government.

Our planet needs a strong government (December 2017)

January 2018

by Dominique de Buman

Summits like the G20 and COP21 achieve little because they rest on the sovereign will of states with no enforcement. Only a UN turned into a true world government, with real power and armed forces, and no Security Council veto, can protect the planet.

Migration, refugees and the need for global governance reforms (December 2017)

January 2018

by Lloyd Axworthy

With more than 65 million people displaced, the post-war refugee system, funded by donor pledges and resting on outdated conventions, no longer works. Ten neighbouring countries host 90% of refugees, and a stronger multilateralism is needed to share the burden.

ICC Update (December 2017)

January 2018

by Monique Cuillerier

The International Criminal Court continues its investigations into multiple conflicts. Key cases in Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo remain under judicial review.

ICC activates jurisdiction over crime of aggression (December 2017)

January 2018

by Fergus Watt

After years of negotiation, states parties agreed to activate the International Criminal Court’s power to prosecute aggression, but on narrower terms than many wanted: the amendments bind only states that have accepted them. Campaigners still called it historic.

Democracy Without Borders: A new approach towards world federalism (December 2017)

January 2018

by Andreas Bummel

The Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly advances global democracy through federalist reform. A UN Parliamentary Assembly is seen as a tool for long-term democratization and integration.

Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security: What comes now (December 2017)

January 2018

by Monique Cuillerier

Annual progress reports and a civil society advisory group answer long-standing demands, but uneven departmental plans and a loose Theory of Change leave a gap between Canada’s WPS pledges and delivery.