A Constitution for the Federation of Earth (Session 3)

A law that cannot be enforced is only advice. The third session turned to Articles 10 to 15 of the Earth Constitution, which describe how its law would be enforced and which freedoms it would protect.

About the Book

A Constitution for the Federation of Earth: With Historical Introduction, Commentary and Conclusion presents the Earth Constitution drafted and adopted by the World Constituent Assemblies between 1968 and 1991, and not yet ratified by any nation, with Glen T. Martin’s commentary on its design: a World Parliament, a world judiciary, enforceable world law and the protection of human rights and the planet’s ecology. The World Citizen Book Club of Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS) read the Constitution over five monthly sessions in 2021.

About the Author

Glen T. Martin is a professor of philosophy at Radford University and president of the World Constitution and Parliament Association, which has promoted the Earth Constitution since the 1970s. He has written widely on world federation, democratic world law and the philosophy of global citizenship.

Discussion Highlights

Glen T. Martin explained an enforcement system led by five World Attorneys General and a civilian World Police equipped only to apprehend individuals, with law applied to individuals rather than to nations. He described the World Ombudsman as a watchdog over the rest of the government, and two bills of rights: political freedoms in Article 12, and economic, social and planetary rights in Article 13, including a right to a protected environment. Article 14 leaves member nations free to choose their internal systems, and Article 15 provides for federal zones and world capitals.

The group tested the text. Members asked about rights it does not name, such as sexual orientation, abortion and gun ownership; Martin said such questions would go to the World Parliament and the courts. Others asked how holdout states would be handled during demilitarization, how the world court would differ from the International Criminal Court, how countries such as China or Russia could take part, whether elections are the only way to choose representatives, and what the provision allowing groups to leave means. The remaining articles and the commentary moved to the next session.

The World Citizen Book Club meets online on the second Saturday of each month and is open to anyone, whether you have read the book or not. See what the club is reading next.