World Constitutional Convention

This article is about World Constituent Assemblies of 1968 & 1977 and related events. For Constituent assembly, see Constituent assembly.
World Constitutional Convention
DateAugust 27 – September 12, 1968 (1968-08-27 – 1968-09-12)
Venue
  • Theater Hall of Congress Kursaal, Interlaken, Switzerland
  • City Hall of Wolfach, Germany
Also known as
  • World Constituent Assembly (WCA)
  • First World Constituent Assembly
CauseWorld Constitutional Convention call
Motiveworld peace, World constitution, democratic federal world government
OutcomeConstitution for the Federation of Earth

The World Constitutional Convention (WCC), also known as the World Constituent Assembly (WCA) or the First World Constituent Assembly, took place in Interlaken, Switzerland and Wolfach, Germany, 1968.[1] The convention aimed to foster global cooperation and world peace through the development of a World constitution and establishment of a democratic federal world government.[2][3][4]

The initiative to convene the convention was led by World Constitution Coordinating Committee, who sought support from notable individuals around the world. The "Call to all nations," an appeal signed by prominent figures, urged countries to send delegates to Geneva for the historic World Constitutional Convention.[5] Several Nobel laureates were among the notable signatories of the call.[6][7] Other notable figures such as Edward Condon, Edris Rice-Wray Carson, and Martin Luther King Jr. endorsed it as well.

Hundreds of participants from various countries attended the convention in 1968, where a proposed constitution was drafted.[2][8][9] The World Committee for a World Constitutional Convention, subsequently renamed the World Constitution and Parliament Association, later organized a Second World Constituent Assembly in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1977.[10] During the 1977 assembly, the delegates adopted the "Constitution for the Federation of Earth".[11][12]

After its adoption, the WCPA issued a call for ratification, urging nations and peoples of Earth to endorse the constitution and copies of the prepared constitution were sent to various entities, including the United Nations,[13] national governments, and universities, seeking their support and cooperation in the ratification process.[14] The constitution had not been ratified by any country as of 2024.[15]

  1. ^ Heimann, Hans (2018-08-29). "Als Interlaken die heimliche Welthauptstadt war" [When Interlaken was the secret world capital]. Berner Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  2. ^ a b "Der Bund 30. August 1968 — e-newspaperarchives.ch". www.e-newspaperarchives.ch (in German). 1968-08-30. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  3. ^ "Berner Tagwacht 29. August 1968 — e-newspaperarchives.ch". www.e-newspaperarchives.ch (in German). 1968-08-29. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  4. ^ "Neue Zürcher Zeitung 28. August 1968 Ausgabe 03 — e-newspaperarchives.ch". www.e-newspaperarchives.ch (in German). 1968-08-28. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  5. ^ Humanities, National Endowment for the (1962-06-14). "Arizona sun. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1942-196?, June 14, 1962, Image 6". pp. PAGE 6. ISSN 2692-692X. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  6. ^ "Letter from World Constitution Coordinating Committee to Helen, enclosing current materials". Helen Keller Archive. American Foundation for the Blind. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ The Sun. 1964-01-23. p. 80.
  10. ^ Eidsmoe, John A. (1992). "A New Constitutional Convention?". Journal of Legal Studies. Vol. 3. Department of Law, U.S. Air Force Academy. p. 56.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Barnaby, Frank (2020-08-26). Building a More Democratic United Nations: Proceedings of CAMDUN-1. Routledge. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-000-10176-8.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Vol. 34. Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc. 1978. p. 63.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference :17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).