In 1947, five small world federalist organizations came together in
Asheville, North Carolina and agreed to merge as the
United World Federalists. These five groups had, in the previous year, met with representatives of fifteen others in
Bern and Hertenstein (
Weggis) to discuss creating a worldwide federalist organization. It was one year later, in August 1947, in
Montreux, that more than 51 organizations from 24 countries came together at the Conference of the
World Movement for World Federal Government (WMWFG). The Conference concluded with the Montreux Declaration. By its second congress in 1948 in
Luxembourg, the Movement consisted of 150,000 members of 19 nationalities and 50 member and affiliated organizations. The 350 participants in the Congress laid the groundwork for an association of parliamentarians for world government, which came into being in 1951. ==Structure==