WOCIT HP E-GA-CONTENT
27 March 2006 (2005-3-19)
Outline of the General Assembly
The General Assembly (GA), in which all the WOCIT members can participate
now, has general functions concerning the purposes of the World Citizens'
Tribunal (WOCIT). In order to understand the functions of the GA, it is
necessary to see, first of all, the purposes of our organization. WOCIT
Charter, Article 1 reads as follows:
Article 1 (purposes) The principal purposes of the WORLD CITIZENS’ TRIBUNAL (WOCIT) are:
1 to contribute to the settlement of conflicts and establishment of peace in the vast space from the view point of values not only of States but also of all mankind, all the Earth and the Cosmos, forming a clear view of the demand of the times;
2 to contribute to the settlement of social, environmental problems
and disarmament problem including the nuclear weapons, and for this purpose
to strengthen world-wide or regional cooperation;
3 to give legal advices, to answer questions, and approaching contesting
parties peacefully, to exercise good offices, to mediate among parties
and to undertake conciliation, contributing to the settlement of the conflicts;
4 to request the contesting parties to submit the problem to an international court of justice when they can not settle contentious problems of international law by diplomatic negotiation and the other peaceful means;
5 to open the door of the WORLD CITIZENS' TRIBUNAL when there is not
response to the said request, and to show the most authoritative and solid
legal judgment in the world in which many Citizen Judges on all the Earth
will take part; and
6 to establish permanent WOCIT Regional Courts in the regions to which
jurisdictions of international courts of justice do not reach unconditionally
and where "rule by force" stalk with a haughty air, and to make
efforts to establish "the rule by law"
All the above-mentioned items but 5-th concern the functions of the
GA. It is easy to understand what important roles the GA is playing. The
WOCIT Statute stipulates that the GA has the following principal functions (Article 56):
a. to make efforts to settle international disputes and establish world peace, cooperating with State Governments and international organizations.
b. to present a conciliation draft to contesting parties in the name of the World Citizens' General Assembly;
c. to elect the President of the World Citizens' General Assembly and the Chairperson from
among their candidates;
d. to recognizeａ Chairperson of
each committee of the World Citizens' General Assembly;
e. to present a draft of revision of Charter and to recognize detailed regulations
to be issued by the Central Secretariat;
f. to decide budget; and
g. to recommend judge candidates as Judges to Courts in the name of the World
Citizens' General Assembly.
The WOCIT is now, so to speak, at the beginning stage of its developement,
and the rules of the WOCIT stipulate an Interim Period: beginning stage which may last for some or 5-10 years, the end of which
is not provided for explicitly.
In accordance with the Rules of the Preparatory Committee, in October 2003
Chairperson of the Preparatory Committee Rikio Kaneko summoned the First
World Citizens' General Assembly (GAⅠ）, became its temporary chairperson, reported past activities and introduced bills to it. GAⅠhas been conducted through Internet up to present time. .
The said Rules stipulates that any member of the Preparation Committee,
a judge candidate, a coworker or a supporter may come forward as a candidate
for the First President of the World Citizens' General Assembly, the Secretary-General
and the Chairperson of the Personnel Committee, and the person who will
get the greatest votes in each first election shall be elected. At the
present stage of Interim Period each WOCIT member has, in principle, one
vote. Further WOCIT Statute provides for as follows:
Article 57 (Honorary
President) In the WOCIT there may be a
Honorary President, Advisers and Consultants.
Article 58 (President) 1 President shall be elected from among
candidates by majority of the members of the General Assembly.
2 President shall summon the
World
Citizens'
General Assembly, may
be its Chairperson and present bills.
Article 59 (Vice-President)
President shall appoint
Vice-Presidents. He may appoint the persons of the WOCIT non-members as a
Vice-President and Vice-Chairman who know well about a given matter.
At present time Dr. Klaus Schlictmann is GA President, and under
his authority some Chairpersons are conducting daily deliberation and decision in the GA. There is not Honorary President nor Vice-president, the seats being vacant
now.
Documents on the General Assembly
1. Rules on the General Assembly (Articles in the Charter, the PC Rules and the Statute)
Mr.Rikio Kaneko's draft proposal to the GA on its Deputies (en jp)
2. Request to be a Deputy of the General Assembly (en, jp, fr, es, ru, ch np)
3. Agenda items, opinions and decisions (since 2003 year) Purposes, principles;
President, GA2; GA Chair; Budget; Priority Aims; Proposal on Iraq probles;
4. The First General Assembly (GA1)
１）Internet GA1, the First Part
2) The First General Assembly
3) Internet GA1,the Second Part
5. The Second General Assembly (GA2) It is not decided yet when and where to open the GAⅡ
(The GA decided that GA2 would not be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.)
（Materials for the GA2 in Dhaka:The second world citizens' forum)