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Renowned expert on UN reform set to visit Manila
Manila,
2 June
2004/P/RE/18731c-is
(news release by the Foundation for Social Justice)
The Foundation for Social Justice (1988) has announced
the scheduled arrival of Prof. Dr. Hans Koechler
this mid-June, 2004, for a series of speaking
engagements and meetings with national and university
officials, and with church groups in Metro Manila. Dr.
Koechler, the president of the International
Progress Organization and head of the Department
of Philosophy, University of Innsbruck, was appointed by the
Secretary General of the United Nations as international
observer at the Lockerbie trial in Camp Zeist, The Netherlands, on the
ill-fated Pan Am Flight 103, where a Libyan was
declared responsible for the explosion of the
aircraft while in flight in 1988. He is the author of the recently
released "Global Justice or Global Revenge? International
Criminal Justice at the Crossroads,"
and was the 14th Centenary Lecturer at the Supreme
Court of the Philippines in 2002.
In this latest work, Dr. Koechler focuses on the
concept of universal jurisdiction, the modern
doctrine of humanitarian intervention, and the
challenges faced by legal theory in addressing issues of international
terrorism. He has expressed continuing concern
over the double standards in
the current practice of "humanitarian politics" and on the pervasive
role of power politics in international relations.
He has been specially invited by the Polytechnic
University of the Philippines which celebrates its
100th Foundation Anniversary this year, and as guest speaker, by the PUP
College of Law, whose anniversary theme is "Quo
Vadis, United Nations?"
At the University of the Philippines, the Asian Center together with
its Alumni Association, will sponsor the start of the
Asian leg of the book launching of "Global Justice or Global Revenge?" A
number of jurists led by Hon. Chief Justice
Hilario Davide, Hon. Ameurfina Herrera, head of the Philippine
Judicial Academy, Hon. Artemio Panganiban, and members
of the diplomatic corps, government and academic
officials, are set to attend the activity.
Justice Romeo Capulong, author-lawyer Soliman Santos,
broadcaster Atty. Waldy Carbonell, and former Executive
Director of the National Amnesty Commission,
lawyer Neri Colmenares, Deputy Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Hon. Gerry Salapuddin of Basilan Province,
among several other government officials, will share
their views.
The members of the H. Koechler Political and Philosophical Society,
composed of Philippine scholars and academics who share
the views of Dr. Koechler on UN reform and are
committed to promote the attainment of
this objective, will be present at the series of discussions.
END//2004-06-01/Renowned expert on UN reform to visit Manila/18731c-is
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