Tag: <span>Association of World Citizens</span>

Forests Appeals

Protection and Wise Use of Forests: An Agenda for…

With the consequences of climate change increasingly visible and having a profound impact on the way of life of people. There is growing attention being given to trees and forests.  There is a growing sense of the need for concerted efforts to protect forests and the many inhabitants of the forests. As well as people, animals, birds and insects of many kinds. 

However, forests and adequate forest management can contribute significantly to socio-economic development. Poverty eradication, and the achievement of internationally agreed upon development goals.

The Great World Tree (Yggdrasil).

    Forests and trees have long been part of humanity’s daily life. As well as an important part of its myths and symbols.  In Scandinavian mythology, the Great World Tree (Yggdrasil) is the tree of existence, the tree of life and knowledge. 

Therefore, care of the tree is entrusted to three maidens, named Urdhrd (Past), Verrandi (Present), and Skuld (Future).  On the topmost branch of this tree sits an eagle who symbolizes light. Whose keen eyes sees all things taking place in the world. 

This tree is the cosmic pillar that supports heaven. At the same time opens the road to the world of the gods.

The Tree is a living symbol.

    Nevertheless, in the myths and legends of other cultures as well. We also find the importance of the tree as a symbol of life with its roots underground. Its trunk in the world of humans, and its top branches touching the sku.  Branches are considered as a ladder by which the hero, through initiations, climbs to high consciousness.

    The loss of the leaves of a tree in Winter and their renewal in Spring has served as the symbol of death and regeneration.  Thus, the tree is a living symbol.  The grove of trees was often considered sacred and the sanctuary where religious rituals were carried out.

Dangers in efforts to protect forests.

    Today, there are many different aspects to the protection and wise use of forests. Measures which need to be taken within the United Nations system, by national governments, by local authorities, and by individuals. 

There are also many dangers facing forests with the uncontrolled cutting in the tropical rainforests and forest fires in many parts of the world.

There are also dangers in efforts to protect forests. In Malawi, Africa. It was reported that in 2024, eight forest rangers were killed by illegal charcoal producers.  Thus, we need a renewed  sense of responsibility for the protection and wise use of forests.

  René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

India-Pakistan Tensions Appeals

Kashmir Attack Creates Increased India-Pakistan Tensions: Track Two Measures Needed.

The India-Pakistan Tension increase on April 22, 2025, when four gunmen killed 26 people and injured others in the Kashmir tourist center of Pahalgam, Kashmir, India. The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, but the group is little known.

However, Indian officials have blamed Pakistan as being behind the attackers saying that Pakistan has a fundamentally criminal disposition in its deep state membership. Pakistan is host to Islamic militants that carry out terrorist raids in India but does not necessarily control them.

The closure of the border between Pakistan and India.

As a result of the Pahalgam attack. India has closed its border crossings into Pakistan and suspended India’s 1960 Water Treaty with Pakistan. Anti-Pakistan protests have erupted in India’s capital New Delhi and in several other cities. It raising fears that anti-Muslim sentiment will grow in India. Pakistan responded by closing its border crossings with India and closed its air space to Indian aircraft.

In 2019, India modified the special self-governing status of Jammu and Kashmir, and security measures have been very tight since. Nevertheless, Kashmir is an important location for tourism within India. Within 48 hours, 90 percent of the tourists in Kashmir left. It was a blow to farmers who sold their food to tourists and to handicraft makers.

The image of a young bride sitting beside her husband’s lifeless body has been viewed multiple times. This image is fixed into the Indian national consciousness as the symbol of the drama.

The India-Pakistan Dangerous Tensions.

As tensions within Jammu and Kashmir have led to armed conflicts between India and Pakistan in the past. The governments of Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and Iran have offered their good offices as mediators. On April 25, Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, said that both India and Pakistan are “brother nations” and that Iran was prepared to play a mediation role.

It may be that the governments of Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran are all too involved with advancing their own political interests in world politics to be taken as neutral mediators. Nevertheless, the India-Pakistan tensions are very dangerous and may easily grow worse if steps to reduce tensions are not taken very soon.

Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister. By Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Association of World Citizens and construction of peace through dialogue.

As Citizens of the World, we are particularly called to help create a climate for negotiations in good faith and to reduce tensions. Therefore, we need to use our worldwide links in a creative way to reduce tensions. We devote ourselves to the safeguard, restoration, and construction of peace through dialogue, cooperation and reconciliation.

One approach in which World Citizens participate is called Track Two. Track One is official government-to-government diplomacy among instructed representatives of the State although there can be “back channels” and informal contacts among the representatives of governments.

Track Two. Non-official Diplomacy.

Track Two consists of discussions held among non-officials of conflicting parties in an effort to clarify outstanding disputes and to explore the options for resolving them in settings that are less sensitive and often less structured and with less media attention than those associated with official negotiations.

Those involved in Track Two talks usually include scholars, senior journalists, former government officials and businesspeople. Depending on the aims and styles of these meetings, the profile of Track Two participants will differ.

The specific purposes of Track Two talks vary, but they are all related to reducing tensions. By informing their respective publics, participants, may indirectly contribute to the formation of new priorities and policies.

Track Two is not the end of the story for insights gained must be incorporated into the positions of government negotiators. There is a little verse by the Quaker economist Kenneth Boulding who participated in many Track Two efforts,

When Track One will not do,
We have to travel on Track Two.
But for results to be abiding,
The Tracks must meet upon some siding.

Today, discussions among Nongovernmental Organizations with avenues of communication to Indian and Pakistani officials should begin now. Time may be in short supply.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

gaza strip Appeals

Human Rights Focus on the Gaza Strip Situation.

Since the start of the current Israeli – Palestinian armed conflict in October 2023, an estimated 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip.

There is wide agreement among Citizens of the World that the United Nations must always stand for the rule of law in both international and domestic affairs. In order to reach this goal, there must be some universally accepted values, institutions, and practices.  There is a need to develop the rule of law with constant attention to human rights. Identifying the needs of the poor and vulnerable and to respond to these needs tangibly.

    The adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the U.N. General Assembly in 1948 sets out the standards of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.  In the same way, the Geneva Conventions set out the framework for international humanitarian law. 

Violations of Human Rights in The conflict in the Gaza Strip.

However, today, there are situations with gross violations of human rights. As well as the displacement of people creating human suffering on a massive scale.  One such situation, on which the Association of World Citizens has drawn attention is the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

    Since the start of the current Israeli – Palestinian armed conflict in October 2023, an estimated 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip.  Medical facilities have been deliberately attacked and medical workers killed in violation of international humanitarian law. 

The Gaza Strip. Hunger and Fear.

Educational buildings have been destroyed, bringing education to a halt in many areas.  People have been repeatedly displaced and their homes destroyed.  Food, medicine, and other vital goods have been prevented from entry into the Gaza Strip. Although have entered in much too small amounts to meet the needs.  The relief convoys have been attacked by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Who have been pushed to extreme actions by hunger and fear.

Human rights respect for Israelis and Palestinians.

    There have been protests on Israeli military actions in a good number of countries. However some persons have spoken of Israeli actions as genocide according to the 1948 Genocide Convention.  The Association of World Citizens has stressed widely the need to respect international humanitarian law. 

There is also a need to prevent an increase in violence in the West Bank. As well as among Israeli settlers and Palestinian villagers.  Efforts must be made to start negotiations in good faith for a political solution that ensures freedom, human rights and the collective safety of  all Israelis and Palestinians.

   René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Israeli airstrike on Gaza Strip during Gaza War 23-25. By Jaber Jehad Badwan, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Syria Appeals

Syria: Creating a Framework for Cooperative Action.

Recent violence and growing tensions along religious, ethnic and social class lines in Syria have highlighted the need to create a framework for cooperation among civil society groups. 

The Peacebuilding Section of the United Nations Secretariat was created because of the difficulties of creating a peaceful and just society after a period of armed conflict.  It has been noted that violence often starts up again if strong measures of reconciliation and cooperative action are not undertaken as soon as the armed conflict ends.

“Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation”.

A spirit of revenge is often present, especially among those who consider themselves as victims.  Thus, there needs to  an interweaving of economic improvement with social reconciliation and the creation of trust among factions.

    The long, multi-layered conflict in Syria from 2011 to the departure of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 had increased tensions among groups, but the tensions were already there, clashing over values and interests.  “Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation”; wrote Kahlil Gibran in “The Garden of the Prophet”; thinking about his home country Lebanon. But it can also be said of neighboring Syria.

Picture of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad with the Syrian flag next to him. By Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Kofi Annan. The first mediator sent by the United Nations.

    External countries had quickly stepped into the armed conflict after 2011 projecting their rivalries onto Syria and jockeying for regional preeminence.  Syrian civil society members had cooperated during the efforts of mediation during the early years of the conflict.  The first mediator was Mr Kofi Annan as the joint envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States in February 2012.

Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General had spent his entire career in the UN  system and was a seasoned mediator.  From his discussions and observations, he proposed first steps based on a ceasefire with effective United Nations supervision, a release of arbitarily detained persons, increased humanitarian aid, and  freedom of association within Syria. 

The implementation of his proposals did not follow, and he resigned his mandate on 2 August 2012.

Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan spoke with the media at the United Nations Office at Geneva following the June 30, 2012 Meeting of the Action Group for Syria. By US Mission in Geneva, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Kofi Annan and the Association of World Citizens.

    I knew somewhat Kofi Annan and knew better some members of his staff.  I also knew fairly well the Secretary General of the League of Arab States Nabil Elaraby, long-time Ambssador of Egypt to the United Nations, Geneva.  Thus, on behalf of the Association of World Citizens, I became involved with the armed conflict in Syria.

 Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Araby in London, 7 January 2013. By English: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, OGL v1.0OGL v1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    I had discussions with Dr Faysal Khabbaz Hamouri, the Ambassador of Syria to the United Nations, Geneva, to see what issues might be negotiable and if an agenda could be fixed.  I also had discussions with Syrian non-governmental organization members who had come to Geneva because of the negotiations. 

The deep division that existed within the Syrian community on the political aspects of the armed conflict.

NGO representatives such as myself for the Association of World Citizens have no standing as official mediators but can play some role through their contacts with diplomats and UN Secretariat members.  From these discussions, I came to realize how deeply divided was the Syrian community involved in the political aspects of the armed conflict. 

There were no public negotiations in Geneva after 2015.  In September 2015, Russian military troops started their heavy support of the al-Assad government.

The wider Middle East is filled with violence and tensions.

    Today, it is difficult to know what those of us who are not Syrians and who are outside of Syria can do to help build a society of social cohesion in Syria.  The wider Middle East is filled with violence and tensions among Israelis -Palestinians, in Lebanon, Yemen and Iran.  We have to keep our spirits open for new possibilities of positive action.

    René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Goma Appeals

Goma: Cry of the Imburi.

The Imburi are spirits that are said to inhabit the forests of Gabon in Equatorial Africa, and who cry out for those who can hear them at times of impending violence and danger.  The Imburi are now crying out loudly on the increasing dangers and forced migration in Goma, capital of the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo  – democratic in name only.

    The 31 July 2024 ceasefire agreement – never fully effective – has now been broken.  Troops of the Tutsi-led militia known as M23 along with regular military of Rwanda are advancing toward Goma, the capital of North Kivu. The Association of World Citizens has members in Goma who keep us informed of the critical situation there – getting worse each day.

This eastern area of the Congo has been the scene of fighting at least since 1998 – in part as a result of the genocide in neighboring Rwanda in 1994. 

   People in the neighboring province of South Kivu are frightened and have started to flee.  There are a large number of displaced persons in both North and South Kivu and some have fled across the frontier into Burundi. Many people are living in displaced persons camps in difficult situations despite the efforts of the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and humanitarian aid organizations.

   This eastern area of the Congo has been the scene of fighting at least since 1998 – in part as a result of the genocide in neighboring Rwanda in 1994.  In mid 1994, more than one million Rwandan Hutu refugees poured into the Kivus, fleeing the advance of the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front, now become the government of Rwanda.  Many of these Hutu were still armed, among them the “genocidaire” who a couple of months before had participated in the killing of some 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda.

The disintegrating situation in Democratic Republic of Congo and the need help develop the rule of law and a vital civil society.

   Today, there is still large-scale occurence of seious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by all parties with massive displacement of populations, plundering of villages, systematic rape of women, summary executions and the use of child soldiers.  There is a report from the U.N. Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo of 27 December 2024 which outlines clearly the disintegrating situation.

   Thus, there is a need to create an enabling political environment which would help develop the rule of law and a vital civil society – a vast task that the Imburi are not sure will be carried quickly enough.

   René Wadlow, Presindent, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: M23 fighters loyal to Bosco Ntaganda move along the road towards Goma as Peacekeepers observed gathering of armed people North of the city, the 1st of March 2013. © MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti. By MONUSCO Photos, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Tension India-China Appeals

Tension Reduction on the India-China Himalaya Frontier.

On October 21, 2024, prior to the meeting of the Indian leader, Narendra Modi, and the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, the Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Subrahmanyam Juishankar, announced that an accord had been reached between Indian and Chinese authorities for a reduction of tensions along the 3,500-kilometer frontier between the two countries.

In 2020, there had been exchanges of fire between Indian and Chinese forces in the Tibet-Ladakh frontier area. There then seemed to be real possibilities that the violence would escalate. Thus, the Association of World Citizens (AWC) had made an Urgent Appeal, posted in July 2020 on its website and sent widely to contacts that might be helpful in reducing tensions. Today, the AWC is pleased with the new agreement and re-publishes its original 2020 Appeal.

Can Track II Efforts Reduce China-India Frontier Tensions?

July 3, 2020 at 7:52 AM

By René Wadlow.

In a June 24, 2020 message to the Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Mr. Vladimir Norov, the Association of World Citizens (AWC) expressed its active concern with the June 15 death of Indian and Chinese military in the Galwan River Valley in Ladakh on the India-China frontier and the possibility that the tensions will increase. While there have been brief discussions among Indian and Chinese authorities to prevent escalation, there have been no real negotiations. Negotiation is a basic political decision-making process, to facilitate compromise without loss of essential objectives.

The 1962 war during which some 2,000 persons were killed.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on June 25 that since early May, the Chinese have been amassing a large contingent of troops and arms along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Also, within India, there has been a good deal of media attention, highly critical of China, given to the events.

In addition, there have been calls for a boycott of Chinese goods, and some Chinese products have been removed from Indian shops. Both Indian and Chinese spokespersons have made references to the 1962 war during which some 2,000 persons were killed.

Track II. Nongovernmental efforts.

The AWC believes that there is a need for prompt measures as the India-China tensions add to existing tensions between the USA and China as well as boundary issues with Asian States in the South China Sea.

There may be a role for “Track II” nongovernmental efforts and exchanges. Track I is official government to government diplomacy among instructed representative of States, usually diplomats from the Foreign Ministry.

However, governments have a range of officials on whom to call: intelligence agencies, the military, and “friends of the President” – trusted individuals within the executive entourage.

The Arrow and the Olive Branch: A Case for Track II Diplomacy.

Track II efforts are organized through nongovernmental organizations and sometimes by academic institutions. Such efforts can entail informal, behind the scene communications that take place in the absence of formal communication channels. The term “Track II” was coined by the U. S. diplomat Joseph Montville in The Arrow and the Olive Branch: A Case for Track II Diplomacy.

Track II efforts have grown as there is increasing recognition that there is a tragic disjunction between the United Nations tension-reduction mandate and its ability to intervene in conflicts when called upon. As Adam Curle, experienced in Quaker mediation efforts has written:

“In general governments achieve their results because they have power to influence events, including the ability to reward or to punish. Paradoxically, the strength of civilian peacemakers resides specifically in their lack of power. They are neither feared nor courted for what they can do. Instead, they are trusted and so may sometimes be enabled to play a part in peacemaking denied to most official diplomats.”

Those involved in Track II efforts must, nevertheless, have ready access to governmental decision-makers and Track I diplomats. As the World Citizen and Quaker economist Kenneth Boulding in a little verse writes:

“When Track One will not do,
We have to travel on Track Two
But for results to be abiding,
The Tracks must meet upon some siding”.

In the China-India frontier tensions, both sides must be convinced that there is a considerable sentiment for peace among their own supporters. In this conflict, which could slip into greater violence, there is an understandable tendency to look for short term answers.

Yet there is also a need for some involved in Track II efforts to have an over-all integrated perspective for both short as well as long-term transformation. Thus, there needs to be a “pool” of people with experience, skills and the ability to move fast when the need or the opportunity is there?

We are sure that there are groups in India and China which can rise to meet this challenge.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party
the Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Subrahmanyam Juishankar
he Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Mr. Vladimir Norov, in (2020)
Sudan Crisis Appeals

United Nations Calls For Action On Sudan Crisis

The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan chaired by Mohamed Chande Othman of Tanzania said in its first 6 September 2024 Report that Sudan’s warring parties, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces as well as their respective militia allies have committed an appalling range of human rights and international humanitarian law violations including indiscriminate airstrikes and shelling against civilians, schools, hospitals, and vital water services.

Mohamed Chande Othman (2012). By United States Embassy, Dar es Salaam, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The armed conflict that has displaced almost 8 million people.

     The current armed conflict which began on 15 April 2023 between two former allies is led on the one side by General Abdel Fattah Al Burham of the Sudanese Armed Forces and on the other by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known by his battle name of Hemedhi, of the Rapid Support Forces.  The conflict, which has spread to 14 of the 18 provinces of Sudan has killed and wounded tens of thousands of civilians, displaced nearly 8 million people and forced two million to flee to neighboring countries and beyond.

Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan. By Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (nicknamed Hemedti) (2022). By Government.ru, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Attacks against ethnic minorities, particularly the Masalit in Western Darfur.

     As the Fact-Finding Mission Report highlights, the warring parties targeted civilians through rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence, arbitrary arrest as well as torture and ill treatment.  Assults have been carried out against ethnic minorities in particular the Masalit in West Darfur.

     The Fact-Finding Mission, mandated by the Human Rights Council in October 2023, carried out a wide range of discussions and interviews.  As the Expert Member of the Mission Mona Rishmawi said:

“These findings should serve as a wakeup call to the international community to take decisive action to support survivors, their families and affected communities and hold perpetrators accountable.  A comprehensive approach to transitional justice is vital for addressing the root causes of the conflict and ensuring accountability.”

    In light of the many difficulties, there have been calls for UN peacekeepers to be sent to Sudan.

 Efforts for a ceasefire and the start of negotiations by the Personal Envoy for the Sudan of the U.N. Secretary-General have led to no advances.  Thus wider action is needed.  Mohamed Othman has said:

“The international community must support the Sudanese aspiration for an inclusive and representative civilian government that respects the rights of all citizens, fostering a path toward equality, justice and sustainable peace in Sudan.” In light of the many difficulties, he has called for sending U.N. peacekeeping forces to Sudan.  “Given the failure of the warring parties to spare civilians, it is imperative that an independent and impartial force with a mandate to safeguard civilians be deployed without delay.  The protection of the civilian population is paramount, and all parties must comply with their obligations under international law and immediately and unconditionally cease all attacks on the civilian population.”

     As the deployment of an independent and impartial force depends on the U.N. Security Council the focus for action shifts from the Human Rights Council to the Security Council.  We appeal for vitally needed action now.

René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Adult woman of the Laarim Tribe smoking in a pipe, Kimotong, South Sudan By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Pact for the Future Appeals

Pact for the Future: A Partly Open Door for…

The Pact for the Future was accepted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in a three-stage process. The first stage was a nearly year-long drafting of the document with many small revisions in the 56 paragraphs setting out the goal of a renewed UN better able to guarantee peace and development. The second stage was a last moment motion by the Russian Federation which asked for a vote, finding some of the wording, especially on human rights, too strong. The Russian motion was put to a vote with 143 States voting for the text of the Pact, 15 abstentions, and 7 opposed (Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Sudan, and Nicaragua.)

After this vote, the President of the General Assembly called for a vote by acclamation. Everyone applauded, some more vigorously than others. Thus, the Pact was adopted by consensus.

They must be fit for the present and the future.

The Pact should be seen as a springboard for action rather than as an end point. With the 193 UN members potentially involved in drafting the document, there was a need for compromises and general ideas rather than any new specific proposals.

The Pact is a reaffirmation of the goals and processes of the UN system, but it also notes the need for constant renewal. In paragraph 6, the Pact states,

“We recognize that the multilateral system and its institutions, with the United Nations and its Charter at the center, must be strengthened to keep pace with a changing world. They must be fit for the present and the future – effective and capable, prepared for the future, just, democratic, equitable and representative of today’s world, inclusive, interconnected and financially stable.”

Paragraph 9 states, “We also reaffirm that the three pillars of the United Nations – sustainable development – peace and security, and human rights – are equally important, interlinked and mutually reinforcing. We cannot have one without the others.”

Action Days.

In practice, it was easier to stress sustainable development since the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals had already been set out, through progress is very uneven. For peace and security, there are Articles 25 and 26 stating that, “We will advance the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. We will uphold our disarmament obligations and commitments.” A culture of peace is mentioned in a number of places, but no specific steps are set out.

For two days prior to the governments’ discussion and voting on the Pact, there was what were called “Action Days” to which were invited Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs), academics working on UN issues, and the representatives of business corporations involved in international trade. The two days were certainly a time for networking if not for “action”.

Facilitate more the representation of youth, which can only be via NGOs.

The Pact is a partially open door for UN cooperation with NGOs stating in a general way the “participation of relevant stakeholders in appropriate formats.” More specifically, the Pact calls to “Facilitate more structured, meaningful and inclusive engagement of nongovernmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council in the activities of the Council in line with ECOSOC resolution 1996/21”. The door of the Pact was most open to youth calling for an increase in the representation of youth, which can only be via NGOs. We will have to see what, as NGO representatives, we can make of the partly open door.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

World Court Appeals

World Court: Focus on Palestinian Territories.

  At a time when Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip are under violent tensions, the  International Court of Justice ( The  World Court), on 19 July 2024, published its  Advisory Opinion, “Legal Consequences Arising From Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Including East Jerusalem“. 

The request for an Advisory Opinion came from the U.N. General Assenbly in 2023.The drafting by the World Court judges followed the oral hearings in February 2024 of the representatives of 50 States, the written statement of the Israeli authorities, and a voluminous dossier by the United Nations Secretary-General on U.N. investigations and peace-making efforts.

The Violence against Palestinians.

    The international law framework concerns the standards set for the administration of occupied terrritories and the duties of an occupying power.  The Advisory Opinion sets out the legal consequences for Israel, the legal consequences for other States, and the legal consequences for the United Nations.

    The Advisory Opinion does not offer new information. Non-governmental organizations, both in Israel and international, have documented in sad detail much of the violence against Palestinians, the home destruction by Israeli military forces, the increased presence of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and many other forms of discrimination. 

What will be the consequences of the Advisory Opinion?.

The  World Court considers this information as reliable, and the information can serve as the basis of its deliberation without asking for new investigations.

    The question which is now open is “What will be the consequences of the Advisory Opinion?” The World Court has no enforcement provisions for its decisions. The impact of the World Court depends for the most part on what national governments decide to do and on what pressure non-governmental organizations can develop.  The tensions in the wider Middle East are real, and the Advisory Opinion may provide an impetus for action. The Association of World Citizens is devoted to strengthening international law and will follow these efforts with strong interst.

  René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Damage following an Israeli airstrike on the El-Remal aera in Gaza City on October 9, 2023. By Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimages, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Masoud Pezeshkian Appeals

Iran: A Glimmer of Hope.

The election on 5 July 2024 of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian offers a glimmer of hope for a reduction of tensions in the Middle East and an improvement of living conditions in Iran.

Masoud Pezeshkian, who was Minister of Health, 2001-2005, and a long-time member of the parliament will have to navigate skillfully within the constraits of Iran’s political order in which the Supreme Guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his inner circle hold most of the political power.  The second round of the election process between Pezeshkian and the conservative hard-liner Saeed Jolili makes Pezeshkian look like a liberal.

Ali Khamenei – Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei. By Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Woman-Life-Liberty.

    On the level of the general population, there is an aspiration for change, for a reduction of the high level of inflation, and an improvement in the standard of living.  The election, caused by the accidental death of the then President, Ebrahim Raisi, came at a time of long-simmering popular grievances highlighted by the wide-spread demonstrations held under the theme of “Woman-Life-Liberty” after the death at the hands of the “Morality Police” of Mahsa Amini.  On the domestic front, much is expected of Masoud Pezeshkian to overcome wide-spread alienation. His openness to dialogue and reform will be closely watched.

Thousands turn out in Melbourne to stand in solidarity with protests that have broken out in Iran following the death of 22-year old Mahsa (also known as Jina or Zhina) Amini at the hands of the country’s brutal dictatorship and its ‘morality’ police. By Matt Hrkac from Geelong / Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Iran: Women-Life-Liberty

The Tensions and Armed Conflicts in the Middle East. 

    On the international level, Iran is deeply involved in many of the tensions and armed conflicts in the Middle East.  The need for tension-reduction measures are urgent, but there seem to be few possibilities for good faith negotiations for the moment. 

The recent NATO Summit in Washington has highlighted Iran’s supply to Russia of drones and missiles used in the Ukraine conflict. It is not clear what role a president can play in Iran’s foreign policy.  Again, Pezeshkian’s words and deeds will be closely watched.  Much will also depend on the efforts of other governments to propose tension-reduction measures.  There are glimmers of hope, not yet a shining light.

Ex President Ebrahim Raisi of the Islamic Republic of Iran. By Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Iran Deaths: New Elements in the Troubled Middle East.

   

René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Masoud Pezeshkian, By Mehr News Agency, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.