This program was designed to advance the establishment of a Peoples' Parliamentary Assembly within the United Nations. A High Tea Reception, Panel Discussion and Press Event was held. The event highlights many years' work toward representation of the voices of the people where decisions are being made affecting their destiny. The event was held in conjunction with the UN 60th Anniversary celebrations and UN World Environment Day.

Our distinguished panel featureed global citizens at the forefront of the Peoples' Parliamentary Assembly movement, presenting their perspectives for manifesting this democratic body within the UN system. Chairing our program was Dr. Robert Muller, former Assistant Secretary-General of the UN. Canadian Senator Douglas Roche, Chairman, Middle Power Initiative, was the featured speaker. Other Speakers included Jose Manual Aguilar, The North-South Institute; Nina Mirani, Young General Assembly; and remarks by Ramu Damodaran, Chief of the UN Department of Public Information's Civil Society Service. Our panel included: Hanspeter Bigler, spokesperson for CDUN's Swiss Parliamentarians' Open Letter to Kofi Annan; Joseph E. Schwartzberg, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota; Andrew Strauss, Professor of International Law at Widener University School of Law; Kevin Danaher, Co-founder of Global Exchange; and Susan Zipp, Co-Chair of the Global Peoples Assembly. Douglas Mattern, President of the Association of World Citizens, served as moderator.

This special event built upon the proposal from Switzerland's Members of Parliament and National Council, to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, calling for the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN. The press event included presentation of an Open Letter to be forwarded to Secretary-General Annan requesting that he convene a High-Level Panel to explore the possibility of establishing a Peoples' Parliamentary Assembly within the UN.

Expert speakers joined more than 150 participants to discuss strategies toward establishing permanent people's representation within the United Nations. The highlight was the successful launch of an Open Letter to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which Dr. Damodaran personally delivered shortly after the conference.

For more information please contact Citizens for a United Nations Peoples' Assembly, 415-896-2242, 55 New Montgomery St., Suite 224, San Francisco, CA 94105, by e-mail at: sfpa@sbcglobal.net.