RESPONSIBILITY IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

I.P.O. President calls for reform of UN decision-making rules

Dialogue on the Volga: Peace and Mutual Understanding in the 21st Century

Volgograd/Vienna, 4 November 2019
RE/27481c-is

Addressing a series of international meetings in Volgograd (Russia), coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of twinning relations between the cities of Stalingrad (Volgograd) and Coventry, the President of the International Progress Organization (I.P.O.), Dr. Hans Köchler, said that the United Nations can only fulfill its mandate of collective security if consensus is reestablished among its founders, the permanent members of the Security Council. The special voting privilege these countries possess under Article 27 of the UN Charter makes it imperative that they coordinate their policies with the Purposes and Principles of the world organization in mind. With privilege comes responsibility. For the sake of credibility of the UN system, the most powerful countries must not abuse their voting privilege for unilateral policies. In this period of transition from unipolar to a new multipolar order, all member states, including the most powerful global players, should respect the Charter's fundamental principle of sovereign equality of states, the President of the I.P.O. explained.

At the opening session of the International Forum of People's Diplomacy, Dr. Köchler called for an amendment of the decision-making rules of the Security Council so as to oblige any member state that is party to a dispute to abstain from voting. The present wording of the UN Charter provides that for all binding decisions on collective security, including those on sanctions and the use of armed force, such an obligation does not exist. This has  made it impossible for the Council to fulfill its mandate in all cases where a permanent member commits an act of aggression. There can be no stable world order as long as double standards are applied in matters of international peace and security, the President of the I.P.O. concluded.

The two-day International People's Forum was inaugurated by the Mayor of Volgograd, Mr. Andrey Kosolapov, and the Lord Mayor of Coventry, Ms. Linda Bigham. The opening discussion of the People's Forum on "The Future of International Relations," hosted by the Municipality of Volgograd, was chaired by Mr. Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the Federation Council of Russia. Speakers included Dr. Gregor Gysi, member of the German Bundestag (Parliament), Deputy Chair of the Group on Inter-parliamentary Relations between Germany and Russia, and Mr. Yury Starovatykh (Russia), former Mayor of Volgograd.

At an international roundtable on "The Future of People's Diplomacy," held at Volgograd State University, Dr. Hans Köchler commented on differences of perception and divergence of interests between the European Union and Russia. He particularly dealt with the issue of unilateral sanctions imposed by the EU on Russia and conflicting interpretations of the Minsk Agreement and the Crimea question. The Rector of Volgograd State University, Dr. Vasily Tarakanov, and the Ambassador of the European Union to the Russian Federation, Dr. Markus Ederer, delivered welcoming addresses.

At a special book launching event at the Department of International Relations of Volgograd State University, Dr. Hans Köchler presented his two new books: "Swiss Lectures on International Law and World Order" (Zurich: Verlag Zeit-Fragen, 2019 / in German) and "The Saint Petersburg Lectures: Civilization and World Order" (Vienna: International Progress Organization, 2019). The book presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session with Russian and foreign students at the Department of International Relations.

On the sidelines of the International People's Forum, the President of the I.P.O. met, among others, with the Chairman Emeritus of Sister Cities International, Mr. Bill Boerum (USA), the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Russian Federation, Mr. Jean-Arthur Régibeau, and with the Deputy Mayor of Izmir (Turkey), Mr. Mustafa Özuslu.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the signing of the friendship agreement between the cities of Stalingrad (Volgograd) and Coventry, a Gala Concert was held on 31 October 2019 at Volgograd Concert Hall, in the presence of the mayors of the partner cities.