Article written by
Lorenza De Luna
Project and Fundraising Officer
Project status
Ongoing
A World Citizens’ Initiative at the United Nations (UNWCI) would enable people from everywhere in the world to make their voices heard and put their topics and concerns on the agenda of the General Assembly or the Security Council.
Join us in our call for inclusive and democratic global governance!
The Campaign
Democracy International, together with Democracy Without Borders and CIVICUS, has been campaigning since 2019 for the introduction of a United Nations World Citizens’ Initiative —a tool to give citizens a direct voice in shaping the decisions of the UN.
The idea is simple but powerful: enable people from around the world to put proposals directly on the agenda of the UN General Assembly or the Security Council. In times of global challenges—from climate breakdown to pandemics and conflict—citizens deserve a mechanism to participate meaningfully in the decisions that affect them.
Momentum for this initiative grew in 2020, when the UN marked its 75th anniversary. The slogan “The future we want, the UN we need” guided a global consultation involving 1.5 million people. Its outcome, the UN75 report, highlighted the call for a more participatory and democratic United Nations, explicitly mentioning the UNWCI as a key proposal.
We followed this by co-launching the We the Peoples campaign in 2021, advocating for inclusive UN reform based on three key pillars—one of which is the UNWCI. Backed by over 300 civil society organisations, the campaign is a growing global movement.
How would it work? A citizens’ committee, representing different regions, would register an initiative and have 18 months to gather five million signatures globally. If successful, their proposal would be formally considered by the UN. The proposal is modelled after the European Citizens’ Initiative, the only transnational tool of direct democracy currently in existence.
For a more detailed guide see here
A UNWCI would bring the United Nations closer to the people it represents. It would help realise the promise in the UN Charter’s opening words—“We the Peoples of the United Nations”—by creating a practical path for citizen participation at the global level. It is a necessary step towards a more democratic, inclusive and accountable system of global governance.
