Expanding Governmental Diversity in Global Governance: Parliamentarians of States and Local Governments

Almost no attention has been given to the expanding governmental diversity in participants in global governance that has been stimulated by the impact of technological change on the global range of human activities. The global reach of parliamentarians of States has roots in formation of the International Parliamentarian Union in 1889, and that of local governments in founding of the International Union of Local Authorities in 1913. This article first provides a brief overview of the inter-State organizations developed by each, with emphasis on those global in scope. This is followed by a brief overview of their present involvement in the United Nations system. When considering the possible future involvement of these two actors in global governance, the creation of both a Parliamentary Assembly and a Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in the forty-seven member Council of Europe merits Serious attention. A widely shared goal of both inter-State organizations of parliamentarians and local governments is strengthening local self-government and local influence on global governance.