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World federalists believe that all people have the fundamental right to self-government. Because of their scope, some policy matters fall under the authority of local governments while others fall under the jurisdiction of national governments or international institutions. World federalists support the creation of democratic global structures accountable to the citizens of the world and call for the division of international authority among separate agencies, a separation of powers among judicial, executive and parliamentary bodies. Only truly democratic and representative bodies can have legitimate authority over all levels of government. We are dedicated to protecting the rights of every person on the planet and preserving the environment for the global community.
The World Federalist Movement evolved out of a series of organizations and efforts that started in the 1930s as a response to the failure of the League of Nations. At the end of the violence of the Second World War, numerous citizens groups formed across Europe and North America to address the need for effective mechanisms of ensuring international peace and stability. The groups started working independently of each other, publishing newsletters and pushing for reform and monitoring of the newly formed United Nations. By 1947 these independent groups recognized the need for unity in their movement if they were to achieve unity in the world. They agreed to meet in Montreux, Switzerland in August 1947 to work on forming a cohesive and effective group.
“By its second Congress in 1948, the World Movement consisted of 150,000 members of 19 nationalities, coming from 39 member organizations and 11 affiliated organizations.”
There were more than 300 participants representing 51 organizations from 24 different countries in Montreux for the opening of the first "Conference of the World Movement for World Federal Government." Those delegates expressed their goal “to transform the UN and to draw up a World Constitution through a people's convention.” During the following period, leaders dedicated themselves to structuring the World Movement and developing it where it did not exist. Delegations went to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States. By its second Congress in 1948, the World Movement consisted of 150,000 members of 19 nationalities, coming from 39 member organizations and 11 affiliated organizations. There, groundwork was laid for the creation of the World Association of Parliamentarians for World Government which came into being in 1951. In 1954 the group formally adopted its Statement of Purpose which still guides WFM to this day. At first, world federalists sought fundamental revisions of the United Nations Charter. After 1965, however, it became apparent that any political will among the world’s national governments to change the Charter had dissipated. Later world federalists continued to propose reforms of existing institutions to make them more effective and democratic. Many focussed on the effort to transform the General Assembly into a world parliament that can enact world law instead of merely making non-binding resolutions. In addition, world federalists made proposals for new United Nations institutions and international organs, such as the Commission on Sustainable Development, International Development Authority, and International Criminal Court (ICC). In 1983 the Institute for Global Policy was founded to support research and writings about world federalism.
