I.P.O. Information Service

 

 

The European Union and the Reform of the United Nations

European Public Debate organized by the Union of European Federalists (UEF)
 

Brussels/Vienna, 3 December 2004/P/RE/18965c-is

 

In a lecture on "The United Nations Organization and the Imperatives of International Democracy," the President of the International Progress Organization, Dr. Hans Koechler,  called for a comprehensive democratic reform of the United Nations Organization and for a stronger role of the European Union in that process. He presented, inter alia, the proposal of the Committee for a Democratic UN (CDUN) for the establishment of a United Parliamentary Assembly on the basis of Art. 22 of the UN Charter. According to Dr. Koechler's analysis, the proposal of the UN-appointed High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change under the chairmanship of Anand Panyarachun (Thailand) for the enlargement of the membership of the Security Council from 15 to 24 member states does not address the basic issue of democratic legitimacy of that body as long as the veto right of the five permanent members is not put into question.

The lecture was delivered on 1 December at the European Public Debate on "The European Union and the Reform of the United Nations." The meeting was organized by the Union of European Federalists (UEF) at the European Parliament in Brussels. Statements were made by Mr. Armin Laschet, Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur on the Relations between the EU and the UN; Mr. Fernando Valenzuela Marzo, Deputy Director-General of External Relations of the European Commission; and Ms. Irune Aguirrezabal-Quijera of the World Federalist Movement. The debate was chaired by the Secretary-General of the Union of European Federalists, Mr. Bruno Boissière.

The meeting was attended by members of the European Parliament, diplomats and representatives of international NGOs.

Following the meeting, Dr. Hans Koechler met with UEF Vice-Presidents Alojz Peterle, member of the European Parliament and former Prime Minister of Slovenia, and Philipp Agathonos (Austria).

  1. The United Nations and International Democracy: The Quest for Reform

  2. I.P.O. papers and resolutions on UN reform and the advancement of international law

  3. Union of European Federalists (UEF)

  4. Committee for a Democratic United Nations (CDUN)
     

END/The European Union and the Reform of the United Nations/2004-12-03/P/RE/18965c-is