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

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.

International Museum Day Appeals

International Museum Day: The Advancement of Learning.

18 May has been designated by UNESCO as the International Day of Museums to highlight the role that museums play in preserving beauty, culture, and history. This year, 2024, the theme is:

“Museums for Education and Research, to develop a future where knowledge transcends barriers and where innovation unites with tradition.”

Museums come in all sizes and are often related to institutions of learning and libraries.  Increasingly, churches and centers of worship have taken on the character of museums as people visit them for their artistic value even if they do not share the faith of those who built them.

    Museums are important agents of intellectual growth and cultural understanding.  They are part of the common heritage of humanity, and thus require special protection in times of armed conflict.  Conserving a cultural heritage is always difficult.  Weak institutional capabilities, lack of appropriate resources, and isolation of many culturally essential sites are compounded by a lack of awareness of the value of cultural heritage conservation. 

Cultural Heritage Conservation.

However, the dynamism of local initiatives and community solidarity systems are impressive assets.  These local forces should be enlisted, enlarged, and empowered to preserve and protect a heritage.  Involving local people in cultural heritage conservation both increases the efficiency of cultural heritage conservation and raises awareness of the importance of the past for people facing rapid changes in their environment and values.

    In many societies, traditional systems of knowledge are rarely written down; they are implicit, continued by practice and example, rarely codified or even articulated by the spoken word.  They continue to exist as long as they are useful, as long as they are not supplemented by new techniques. They are far too easily lost.  Thus, it is the objects that came into being through these systems of knowledge that become critically important.

Museums as a place of Learning.

    Thus, museums must become key institutions at the local level.  They should function as a place of learning.  The objects that bear witness to systems of knowledge must be accessible to those who would visit and learn from them.  Culture must be seen in its entirety: how women and men live in the world, how they use it, preserve and enjoy it for a better life.  Museums allow objects to speak, to bear witness to past experiences and future possibilities and thus to reflect on how things are and how things might otherwise be.

    Museums help to build new bridges between nations, ethnic groups and communities through values such as beauty and harmony that may serve as common references.  Museums also build bridges between generations, between the past, the present, and the future.  Therefore on this International Museum Day, let us consider together how we may advance the impact of beauty upon the world.

   René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

foreign influence Appeals

Start to Dangerous Regression of Liberty in Georgia: A…

Despite strong protests from Georgian Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) and street protests for three weeks in the capital Tbilisi, the Georgian Parliament adopted on May 14, 2024 the controversial law on “foreign influence”. The vote was 84 in favor and 30 opposed.

The law is likely to be vetoed by the Georgian President, Salomé Zourabichvili, a former French diplomat, but there are probably enough favorable votes in the Parliament to override the veto.

The law is very close to a similar law of 2012 in the Russian Federation used to hinder NGOs often considered to be “enemy agents” voicing opposition to the government. The law obliges NGOs and media to publish all financing from foreign governments, foundations, and individuals if it amounts to 20 or more percent of the funds of the organization. The law has been strongly opposed by officials of the European Union and the United States. Georgia has a candidate status for joining the European Union.

President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili in Brussels, 2019. By President.ge, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

People without a Country.

The former Prime Minister and leader of the Georgian Dream Party in power for the last 12 years, Bidzina Ivanichvili, has attacked those opposed to the law as “people without a country” – a term used in the Soviet Union in the 1930s. He has been playing with a fear among some in power in Georgia that NGOs with foreign funding could create a “color revolution” to overthrow the government as was done elsewhere.

In the days prior to the vote, there was strong government pressure against journalists and NGO representatives, some being beaten and many threatened by telephone calls. As Citizens of the World concerned with the role of NGOs and freedom of the press, we need to watch developments in Georgia closely.

Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili in the Polish Senate.
Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili in the Polish Senate. By The Chancellery of the Senate of the Republic of Poland , CC BY-SA 3.0 PL https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/pl/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons.

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

Credits:

Featured Image: Image by Adam Lapuník on Pixabay.
Rafah Appeals

Rafah, Gaza Strip: A Human Catastrophe in the Making.

“I am disturbed and distressed by the renewed military activity in Rafah by the Israeli Defense Forces. Make no mistake – a full-scale assault on Rafah would be a human catastrophe,”

(UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on May 7, 2024. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, some 78,000 have suffered injuries, and nearly 2 million have been internally displaced. The number is rising as the ground invasion of Rafah begins.

The UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteurs have painted a grim picture of the disproportionate level of suffering experienced by girls and especially pregnant women in Gaza.

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. By Quirinale.it, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons.
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. By Quirinale.it, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons.

“The treatment of pregnant and lactating women continues to be appalling with the direct bombardment of hospitals and the deliberate denial of access to health care facilities by Israeli snipers, combined with the lack of beds and medical resources placing an estimated 50,000 pregnant Palestinian women and 20,000 newborn babies at unimaginable risk.”

Many of these military actions are in direct violation of International Humanitarian Law as set out in the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949 and the Protocol Additional adopted in 1977. In order to meet new situations, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) has evolved to cover not only international armed conflicts but also internal armed conflicts. IHL prohibits the indiscriminate killing of civilians, the holding of hostages, and the destruction of medical and educational infrastructure.

The Association of World Citizens stresses the importance of IHL as a vital part of world law that will replace unilateral actions by States based on narrow domestic political considerations. The standards of IHL require political will if they are to function effectively. Thus, nongovernmental action on the Gaza Strip armed conflict is urgently needed.

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

A Palestinian refugee Camp near Tyre, Lebanon. Photo shows: IDF aroured troops inside Lebanon stationering near by a camp for Palestinians refugees. By Dan Hadani / Dan Hadani collection / National Library of Israel / The Pritzker Family National Photography Collection, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Credit:

Featured Image: Image by Amrulqays Maarof on Pixabay.
Uprooted Appeals

The Uprooted.

Increasing numbers of people in countries around the world, have been forced from their homes, by armed conflicts and systematic violations of human rights. Those who cross internationally recognized borders are considered refugees, and are relatively protected by the refugee conventions signed by most states. The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and its 1967 protocol give the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees an international legal basis to ensure the protection of refugees.

Banner of UN High Commissioner for Refugees – Geneva – Switzerland. By Adam Jones, Ph.D., CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

However, those who are displaced within a country, as is the case currently for many in the Gaza Strip and in Ukraine, are not protected by the international refugee conventions.

Thus, displacement within a State poses a challenge to develop international norms, and ways to address the consequences of displacement, and the possibility to reintegrate their homes, though in the case of Gaza many of the homes have been destroyed.

Warsaw Central Station during Ukrainian refugee crisis in March 2022. By Kamil Czaiński, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A need to provide protection and assistance to the uprooted.

Armed conflicts within States often reflect a crisis of identity within the State. This can occur when a State becomes monopolized by a dominant group to the exclusion or marginalization of other groups. There is a need to provide protection and assistance to the uprooted.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has been able to act in some cases as has been true also for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which is mandated to protect civilians in war zones. The obligation to assist populations in immediate danger of starvation is largely recognized, and the UN World Food Program has been able to act. In some cases, nongovernmental humanitarian agencies have been able to be active.

However, each situation requires new negotiations and results differ.

United Nations World Food Programme Logo. By United Nations World Food Program, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The strategies to address mass displacement need to be broad and comprehensive.

Thus, what is essential is that there be predictable responses in situations of internal displacement and that attention be paid not only to material assistance but also to the human rights of those displaced. To be effective, strategies to address mass displacement need to be broad and comprehensive.

There is a need for political initiatives that seek to resolve the conflicts as the consequences often involve neighboring countries. Efforts must engage local groups, national institutions, and Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) to prevent situations that lead to persons being uprooted. As the representatives of NGOs, we have an opportunity to discuss with other NGOs the most appropriate next steps for action.

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

Featured Image: Picture by Rosy / Bad Homburg / Germany en Pixabay
UN Security Council Appeals

UN Security Council Reforms: Necessary But Difficult.

    Ambassador Pedro Comissario of Mozambique who is chairing the UN Security Council for this month of May said:

“The veto should never have been allowed in cases of flagrant violations of international humanitarian law as we are witnessing in Gaza at the moment.” 

Some 35,000 persons have been killed in the Gaza Strip since 8 October 2023.

Many bodies are still under the ruined buildings and are not yet counted.  The United States has vetoed four resolutions concerning Gaza, despite the fact that many governments are calling for a lasting ceasefire, for the freeing of hostages held by the Palestinians, for the release of political prisoners held by the Israelis and for increased humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.

HE Mr Pedro Comissário Afonso, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mozambique, presents his credentials to Dr Lassina Zerbo, Director of the International Data Centre and Executive Secretary-elect of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, on 1 July 2013. By The Official CTBTO Photostream, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

UN membership for Palestine.

    Under a new UN procedure voted late in 2023, when there is a veto in the Security Council, the subject is moved to the General Assembly for consideration.  The State having cast the veto must explain its position and its justification for the veto.  Thus on 10 May 2024, the General Assembly will discuss the US veto of 18 April concerning UN membership for Palestine, a debate worth following closely as it is closely related to current events in the Gaza Strip.

    Since the start of the United Nations in 1945, a total of 312 vetos have been cast in the Security Council: 152 by the Soviet Union and its reincarnation as the Russian Federation.  91 vetos have been cast by the USA.

Two Major issues in the on-again, off-again discussions concerning reform of the UN Security Council.

 One issue has been the veto power of the five permanent members. The other issue has been the make up of the Security Council: should there be additional permanent members, if so should they have the veto?  In addition to the discussion of new permanent members, should there be more than the current 15 States?  There has been no agreement of these issues. In practice, more issues are moved to the General Assembly, but finding adequate solutions to crucial issues is difficult also in the General Assembly.

    The review and reform of UN structures has often been advocated.

However, a Charter Review Conference on the UN agenda for 1955 was pushed under the rug by an agreement of the USA and the USSR both of which did not want their policies in the UN discussed.  Such a review would be helpful but difficult to create.

   Professor René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.