About Us

World Federalist Movement - Institute for Global Policy

The World Federalist Movement (WFM) is an international citizen's movement working for justice, peace, and sustainable prosperity. We call for an end to the rule of force, through a world governed by law, based on strengthened and democratized world institutions. World federalists support the creation of democratic global structures accountable to the citizens of the world and call for the division of international authority among separate agencies.

Created in 1947, WFM has been dedicated to ensuring democratic global structures accountable to the citizens of the world, the division of international authority among separate agencies and a separation of powers among judicial, executive and parliamentary bodies. Only truly democratic and representative bodies can have legitimate authority over all levels of government. WFM is concerned with protecting the rights of every person on the planet and preserving the environment for the global community.

The Institute for Global Policy (IGP) was founded in 1983 by four WFM leaders as the research and policy analysis arm of the World Federalist Movement. The Institute is the primary education mechanism of WFM and seeks to promote better understanding of the UN and other international organizations. IGP was also conceived of as a framework for WFM to promote debate on key issues of global governance in the media and other matters requiring a more neutral platform.

History of the Movement

The World Federalist Movement evolved out of a series of national organizations and efforts that started in the 1930s as a response to the failure of the League of Nations and in the attempt of creating the kind of global order that could prevent world war. At the end of the Second World War, numerous citizens’ groups formed across Europe and North America to address the need for effective mechanisms of ensuring international peace and stability, realizing that the United Nations with its original structure would not be able to meet its first preambular goal: 'to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war' .

The groups started working independently of each other, publishing newsletters and pushing for reform and monitoring of the newly formed United Nations. By 1947 these independent groups recognized the need for unity in their movement if they were to achieve unity in the world. They agreed to meet in Montreux, Switzerland in August 1947 to work on forming a cohesive group, creating what is today the World Federalist Movement.

'We fear that the UN' efforts towards peace, like those of the League of Nations, may not be successful, if the world is not willing to take this next step to World Federalist Government'
On  August 17th 1947, more than 300 participants representing 51 organizations and numerous observers gathered in Montreux for the opening of the first 'Conference of hte World Movement for World Federal Government'. Max Habicht opened the meeting and declared that as Federalists they wanted a world government that 'will create the Parliament of Man, in which the representatives of the people of the world will make world laws by majority vote'. Mr. Habicht described the Covenant of the League of Nations and the Charter of San Francisco as 'only steps on the path leading to a better organization, the World Federal Government, which alone, can guarantee world peace. We fear that the United Nations' efforts towards peace, like those of the League of Naitons, may not be successful, if the world is not willing to take this next step to World Federal Government.' He concluded, 'Federalists in all countries of the world will try to make a contribution to this political evolution. We are here in Montreux to coordinate our activities and to make them more effective.'

The Founding meeting concluded with the adoption of the 'Montreux Declaration; The Principles for World Federal Government'