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S T A T E M E N T   O F   G A R R Y   D A V I S 

I would first like to thank you for your participation at this press conference on such short notice. I have called it for three specific reasons:

  • to announce our plans for declaring the piece of land owned by myself and Mrs. Davis in Hésingue, Haut-Rhin and which is the seat of our government of declared World Citizens, as "extra-territorial" and subsequently as "World Territory";
  • to announce our plans for seeking formal recognition as a sovereign government by all states which have ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which entered into force on 23 March, 1976 on the basis of the right of self-determination of peoples (Part 1, Art. 1);
  • to announce our future political plans particularly in view of the evolution of the World Citizens Party.

With regard to the first subject, as my legal status in France is indeterminate, yet, according to French law, I can be subject to prosecution once again under Art. 144 of the Penal Code dealing with so-called fraudulent documents, in order to obviate all such moves and in keeping with the recent decision of the Government permitting my entry on a de facto basis, my only recourse is to claim for my actual home a status of extra-territoriality such as is enjoyed by such international "personalities" as UNESCO, many international organizations, the United Nations, Embassies, Consulates, NATO, etc.

This legitimate claim will afford our Government an actual territorial base necessary for the establishment of our various administrative services for our citizenry.

Secondly, as a legitimate self-proclaimed people, now that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights has entered into force on 23 March 1976 for 35 ratifying states, we intend to seek formal recognition as a sovereign government according to the right of self-determination defined in Part 1, Art. 1(1): All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their own political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

For the first time in history, apart from the international penal code defined by the Nuremberg Principles, this Covenant, became international law, now binds national citizens distinct form their national obligations and allegiances. We may conclude that individual sovereignty has been accorded an extension beyond the national constitutional limits without at the same time compromising the national sovereignty. This extension thus represents an addition, not a subtraction to individual civic status. Enlightened national leaders such as Giscard d'Estaing and Willi Brandt have confirmed this extension in principle by calling for a European Parliament elected by universal suffrage. Over 100 U.S. Congressman advocate a regime of democratically constituted world law. This leads me to our third subject.

The present national party system does not address itself to the problems facing either the individual voter or the world community as a whole. Such problems are both personal and global at the same time.

It is for this reason that we have founded a political party of World Citizens. So far, there is a branch in West Germany with headquarters in Wolfach and a U.S.A. branch in San Francisco at 1590 Broadway. A New York State branch is actually having its first meeting on Friday in New York City.

Other national branches will be formed as circumstances permit. Our party will operate on local, national as well as the global level. Candidates will be presented to the electorate on all three levels. The global electoral level is already mandated by Article 21(3), Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

    "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures."

As there is yet no electoral machinery available via the state for global elections, the World Service Authority issues individual world ballots for such a de facto election. The formula for election as a "world representative" is based on proportional representation on the basis of 1 representative per million votes.

Such a directly-elected world representative could legitimately present his/her credentials to the Secretary-General of the United Nations thus adding popular sovereignty to this impotent body consistent with its Charter Preamble as its Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Further the World citizens Party will represent stateless persons, refugees, speak for common areas such as the oceans, the atmosphere, the planetary eco-system, etc., totally ignored by present-day national political parties.

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