Vienna, 2 January 1997
NEW PUBLICATIONS
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the International Progress Organization, the I.P.O. will publish a comprehensive proposal for the reform of the United Nations under the title "The United Nations and International Democracy: The Quest for UN Reform." (Studies in International Relations, XXII) The paper is the result of I.P.O.'s participation in the European Union's research network on Transnational Democracy. The paper was first published in honor of Professor Milan Sahović, a longtime member of the Executive Board of I.P.O., in the Yugoslav Review of International Affairs. The full text of the new publication is available on the internet homepage of the I.P.O. (see below).
The statements presented at an international roundtable meeting co-sponsored by the I.P.O. will be published under the title "Economic Sanctions and Development" (Studies in International Relations, XXIII).
The United Nations Association of Austria published the reform proposals by the President of the I.P.O. in its special jubilee issue n. 300 under the title "Die Zukunft der Vereinten Nationen. Zur Notwendigkeit einer UNO-Reform."
NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
Dr. Gudrun Grabher (Ms), Professor and Chairperson of the Dept. of American Studies at the University of Innsbruck, was appointed as Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Vienna as from 1 January 1997.
RESEARCH PROJECT ON TRANSNATIONAL DEMOCRACY
The second working session has taken place at the University of Cambridge (UK) (29-30 March 1996). The I.P.O. presented the working paper on "The United Nations and Transnational Democracy: The Quest for UN Reform." The project was implemented through an international research network within the framework of the Human Capital and Mobility Programme of the European Union. The project was concluded with the presentation of the research papers at the Cambridge meeting.
ISLAM AND THE WEST
The I.P.O. participated in the Second International Seminar on Civilizational Dialogue on the topic "Japan, Islam and the West: Peaceful Coexistence or Conflict?" The seminar was jointly organized by the University of Malaya and the Japan Foundation in Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia (2-4 August 1996). Among the speakers were Professor Samuel Huntington (Harvard University) and Professor Kinhide Mushakoji, former Vice-Rector of the United Nations University (Tokyo). The President of the I.P.O. presented a paper on "Muslim-Christian Ties in Europe: Past, Present and Future." The full text of the paper is available on the internet homepage of the I.P.O. (see below).
INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE
Within the framework of the NGO Committee on Development, the I.P.O. organized an international roundtable on "Economic Sanctions and their Impact on Development" at the Vienna headquarters of the United Nations (28 November 1996). Among the speakers were Dr. Hans Koechler, President of the I.P.O., co-ordinator of the meeting, Dr. Türkkaya Ataöv, Professor of International Relations at the University of Ankara, Ambassador Neama Faris, Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations Office at Vienna, Mr. Ali Farfer, Secretary-General of the Jamahir Society for Culture and Philosophy, and Mr. Alfredo Puig, Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Hans Einhaus, former Asst. Secretary-General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs. The proceedings of the roundtable will be published by the I.P.O.
UNITED NATIONS SANCTIONS POLICY
The International Progress Organization continued its efforts, in co-operation with other international non-governmental organizations, to raise greater awareness of the humanitarian and legal aspects of the Security Council's sanctions policy.
On 19 February 1996 the I.P.O. launched a joint Appeal with the International Organization for Muslim Women on the issue of the UN sanctions against Iraq. The Appeal was addressed to the General Secretaries of the United Nations and of the League of Arab States.
The I.P.O. participated in the international conference on "International Sanctions: The Hunger Weapon" held in Rome (10-11 May 1996). The President of the I.P.O. gave a lecture on sanctions and international law.
On 16 August 1996 the I.P.O. launched a joint Appeal with the International Institute for Non-aligned Studies, the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization and the Union of Arab Jurists. The Appeal was addressed to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and was presented by Prof. Genei Shimoji, member of the delegation of the I.P.O., to the Sub-Commission on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities at its session in Geneva in August 1996.
On 11 September 1996 the President of the I.P.O. made a statement on the legality of economic sanctions at a special meeting on sanctions convened in connection with the Annual NGO Conference organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) at UN Headquarters in New York.
The I.P.O. participated in the International Tribunal on Economic Sanctions in Madrid (16-17 November 1996).
NGO COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT
Since 1996 the I.P.O. has undertaken to provide the Secretariat for the NGO Committee on Development, a group of NGOs accredited at the United Nations Office at Vienna. The committee has organized the following seminars during 1996: "Coming to Grips with Poverty" (19-20 March 1996), "The Reduction of Unemployment" (10 May 1996), "Economic Sanctions and their Impact on Development" (28 November 1996).
UNITED NATIONS / INTERNATIONAL LAW ISSUES
Dr. Francis Boyle, Professor of International Law at the University of Illinois (USA), worked out several memoranda on disputes related to resolutions of the Security Council. The I.P.O. submitted the memoranda to the concerned authorities.
On 1 March 1996 and 8 July 1996 the President of the I.P.O. sent messages to the President of the Security Council concerning legal issues between Sudan and Ethiopia and the Security Council resolutions related to them.
HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECTS
The I.P.O. was invited to join the International Initiative to Develop Human Rights Strategies for the Final Status Negotiations which is co-ordinated by Mr. Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (Gaza). The I.P.O. will deal with the right of self-determination and with the question of Jerusalem.
PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
Among numerous other meetings, the I.P.O. participated in the following major international events:
International Conversazione on "Democracy and Terrorism," organized by the International Institute for Non-aligned Studies at Parliament House in New Delhi (25-26 July 1996). The meeting was opened by Indian Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda. Statements were made by the Indian Home Minister, Indrajeet Gupta, and by the Speaker of the Parliament, P. A. Sangma. The President of the I.P.O. acted as co-ordinator of the Drafting Committee. In connection with the conference Dr. Koechler had a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister J. K. Gujral.
"World Peace Assembly" organized by the World Peace Council in Mexico City (23-25 October 1996). The conference was addressed by Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León and by Foreign Minister Angel Gurría. The President of the I.P.O. gave a speech on the state of peace in the new international order at the opening session.
PARTICIPATION IN UNITED NATIONS MEETINGS
A delegation of the I.P.O. participated in the forty-eighth session of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (UN Commission on Human Rights) in Geneva (5-30 August 1996). The delegation consisted of Prof. Hans Koechler (Austria), Ms. Fauzia Kabir (India), Mr. Shahid Syed (Pakistan), Ms. Sibylle Rupprecht (Germany), Ms. Bharti Silwal Giri (Nepal), and Prof. Genei Shimoji (Japan).
A delegation of the I.P.O. headed by the President participated in the annual conference of the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) at United Nations Headquarters in New York (11-12 September 1996).
SPECIAL LECTURES
The following special lectures were given by the President of the I.P.O.:
"The Security Council Sanctions against Libya and the Role of the United Nations in the New World Order" (University of Vienna, 25 April 1996);
"The Principle of Democracy: Reality and Possibilities" (International Symposion on Direct Democracy organized by the Initiative for Democracy, Bozen/Bolzano [Italy], 17 May 1996;
"The United Nations and International Democracy" (Foreign Affairs Club of India and Institute of Diplomatic Studies, New Delhi, 27 July 1996);
"The United Nations and International Democracy" (Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization, London, 9 November 1996).
In connection with the above meeting in London, the President of I.P.O. presented the "South Asian Literary and Community Award" to Pakistani writer Saiyid Muin-Ud-Din-Shah.
CONSULTATION MEETINGS OF THE PRESIDENT
On 2 January 1996 Prof. Koechler met in Khartoum with the President of the Republic of the Sudan, General Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, and with the Secretary-General of the Arab-Islamic Popular Conference, Dr. Hassan Al-Turabi. He also met with members of the Government and of the Transitional National Assembly. He visited the Sudan to attend the promulgation of the new constitution and the session of the National Congress of the Sudan.
On 10 July 1996 Prof. Koechler met with former UN-Secretary-General Dr. Kurt Waldheim in Vienna to discuss issues of United Nations reform. On 25 July 1996 Prof. Koechler met in New Delhi with Dr. Murad Ghaleb, Secretary-General of the Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization, former Foreign Minister of Egypt.
On 8 August 1996 Prof. Koechler met in Geneva with Dr. Govind Narain Srivastava, Secretary-General of the International Institute of Non-aligned Studies, and with other representatives of international NGOs to discuss co-operation on human rights and international law issues.
On 4 September 1996 Prof. Koechler met in Kuala Lumpur with Prof. Kinhide Mushakoji, Secretary-General of the International Movement against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism and former Vice-Rector of the United Nations University, to discuss co-operation between the two organizations.
In connection with his visit to United Nations headquarters, Prof. Koechler met on 12 September 1996 in New York with Prof. Ibrahim A. Gambari, Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations.
The President also held consultations with I.P.O. Vice-Presidents Dr. Arturo Muñoz Ledo (Mexico City, 24 October 1996) and Dr. S. S. Mohapatra (New Delhi, 27 July 1996), and with I.P.O. Board Member Ramsey Clark (New York, 13 September 1996).
TELECOMMUNICATION
The I.P.O. has established a homepage on the Internet (Worldwide Web). The address (URL) is as follows: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ipo. The new e-mail address is: ipo@compuserve.com.
I.P.O. documents, news releases, research papers and general information are available on the homepage. Comments of members are welcome.