HIGH-LEVEL PANEL REPORT: The United Nations on Tuesday proposed the most
sweeping changes in its history, recommending the overhaul of its top
decision-making group, the Security Council, and holding out the
possibility that it could grant legitimacy to pre-emptive military strikes.
In its most attention-getting recommendation, the panel called for an
expansion of the Security Council to 24 members from 15. But the panel was
unable to agree on one proposal and ended up suggesting two options. (NYT)
The 95-page report lays out a new vision for collective action to tackle
threats to global security and puts “a more proactive” Security Council at
the heart of a revitalised United Nations. (AP)

The panel challenged the Bush administration’s right to use military
force against an enemy that does not pose an imminent military threat. (WP)
But the panel acknowledged that the UN should do more to deal with
terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. (Times, London) The panel of 16
“wise men” challenged America’s claim to have a right unilaterally to take
“preventive” military action against looming threats. “There is little
evident international acceptance of the idea of security being best
preserved by a balance of power or by any single–even benignly
motivated–superpower,” said the panel. (Daily Telegraph, London)

All countries should sign and ratify the statute of the International
Criminal Court, a high-level United Nations panel will demand later this
week, and the UN Security Council should be far more ready to refer
wrongdoers to international criminal justice. But the advice on the court
is likely to infuriate the US, which has opposed it both through the UN and
through bilateral agreements. And Washington’s support is seen as crucial
to the success of any UN reform. (FT)

The UN reform panel is tending towards a Security Council reform
model whereby the council is expanded by 8 semi-permanent members, elected
for four years; the panel feels that the majority of UN states supports
this model. Germany would thus not achieve the goal of getting a permanent
seat. (Berliner Zeitung)

New permanent members of the United Nations’ Security Council should
have the same veto power as the current members, a top Japanese official
said Wednesday, disputing a high-level international panel’s recent
recommendations. (AP) China and South Korea remained cautious toward
Japan’s bid to become a permanent member of the Security Council during a
trilateral summit in the Laotian capital Monday, officials said.
(Herald/Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo)

India has been shortchanged by a report intended to overhaul the UN
set-up. Though placed at the high table, among the Security Council’s six
new permanent members, the report’s recommendations do not confer it a
veto, making any place on the Council a “mere detail.” Why should a
country aspire for permanent status unless it gains the power of veto? (The
Statesman, Kolkata)

Yesterday the UN unveiled a sweeping proposal to overhaul the
organization, including the Security Council, in what would be the biggest
UN reform since its founding in 1945. Its release had been scheduled for
today but was suddenly fast-forwarded. A coincidence, perhaps, but amid so
much pressure, anything that shifts attention away from his other troubles
will surely be a welcome respite for Kofi Annan. (National Post, Canada)

The US has shaken the UN Charter to the point of collapse. Where does
that leave the international community? This week we shall see the report
of the high level group, which will guide us towards rules which fit the
world not of 1945 but of 2004. Annan is right to try, but whatever changes
might eventually be contrived at the UN, the foundations of an
international community in the next few years will essentially be regional.
We need in every major region valid partnerships which include the US,
writes Douglas Hurd. (FT, Op-Ed)

The long-awaited Report arrives at a very inopportune moment for Kofi
Annan.Can a Secretary-General whom Americans do not like, who first reacted
at the oil-for-food scandal with reluctance only to admit, later on, his
son’s conflict of interest, succeed in reforming the world body in the
remaining 24 months of his mandate? Will the Panel members manage to divert
the attention of the American right-wing–already threatening to slash the
US contributions to the UN by 10 percent because of the scandal? (La
Repubblica, Rome, ed) Kofi Annan is trying to do all he can in the
difficult task of reforming the Security Council, aware that this may be
his last chance to save his reputation and rescue the UN from a bottomless
pit. (El Mundo, Spain)

===============
Notes:
(AP): Associated Press;
(NYT): New York Times;
(WT): Washington Post;
(FT): Financial Times

E’ stato presentato alle Nazioni Unite il documento finale redatto dai Commissari dell’High-level Panel incaricati del proprio progetto di riforma.

Qui sotto una rassegna stampa sull’evento:

• Da “BBC News”
• Dal sito “Number One News Resource of Pakistan”
• From the International Press
• From “Human Rights Watch Press”
  qui tradotto in italiano a cura di PeaceLink.

Qui invece il documento finale

(thanks to Colin Archer, Secr. Gen. IPB Geneve)

Da Chiara Venturi, presente a Roma nei passati giorni del V Summit dei Premi Nobel per la pace, ecco il testo (in Inglese) del suo contributo, in rappresentanza di IPB-Italia.

• Clicca qui per il documento originale.
• Clicca qui per il documento in Italiano.

Report from Chiara Maria Venturi in representance of IPB-Italia.

1)The “Florence Appeal to prevent the scourge of war” illustrated at the world Nobel Prize summit organized in Rome by the Gorbachev Foundation.

2) Presentation of the book “ A tale for peace” and launching of the second edition of the literary prize “ A Tale for Peace”

The circulation of the “Florence Appeal to prevent the scourge of war” continues. The Appeal is the final document of the international conference organized by the Italian Office of the International Peace Bureau on the issue of “Peace and Human Security Aspects of U.N. Reform” which was held in Florence on September 25-26. University teachers, members of pacifist associations and experts from over 20 countries took part in the conference.

On November 3rd 2004 in New York, the Appeal was presented to Mr Anand Panyarachun, former Thai Prime Minister and Chair of the UN High- Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change which had the task to examine the possible reform of the organization. On November 8th 2004, Fulgida Barattoni, President of IPB-Italia, and Chiara Maria Venturi, Italian member of the International Peace Bureau Steering Committee, officially asked that the appeal be presented to the annual Nobel Prize summit organized by the Gorbachev Fundation-Italia in Rome so that its text could be part of the works of the summit and of an ever wider-ranging discussion.
The text of the appeal and its Italian translation are available on: www.ipb-italia-org.

Therefore the IPB delegation, formed by Jonathan Granhoff (President of the Global Security Institute) and Alyn Ware (IPB Vice-President) distributed the text of the Florence Appeal to the Nobel Prize Laureates, who took it into account as a positive support for the High-Level Panel work.

We have also faxed the text of the Appeal to Walter Veltroni, Mayor of Rome and to the President of Italy, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi to let them know what important meeting took place in Italy, in Florence on 25-26 September as an example of how civil society is well and alive, and alerted towards such an important issue as the UN reform and its implications for the whole world’s peace and security status.

On November 12th and 13th the I.P.B.+ delegation was joined by two IPB Italia members, Chiara Venturi, IPB Italy Scientific Committee, and Lara Alpi journalist, who had the opportunity to have informal meetings and interviews with the Nobel Laureates, during which material highlighting IPB Italia activities was distributed, i.e. copies of the book “ A Tale for Peace”.

The Italian delegation also joined the IPB delegation both during the press conference and the previous strategy meeting with the Nobel prize winners which took place on Saturday morning, November 12th, and gave active contribution to the session concerning the dissemination of the Nobel Prize Winners’ final statement by suggesting its distribution to the mailing list “ Focus Group” and to the schools.

The high level of efficiency, capacity and diplomacy of the IPB delegation in the persons of Alyn Ware and Jonathan Granhoff was of great support and contributed to the successful partecipation of the IPB Italia members.

Meanwhile in Lugo both the book “A Tale for Peace” containing the winning tales of the first edition of the literary prize and the second edition of the prize were officially launched to the press and to the local authorities.

The second edition is honored by the following sponsors and supporters:
- M.I.U.R. - Ministry of Education, Letizia Moratti
- UNESCO Italian Commission– Dott. Mario Vecchione
- C.R.I. Red Cross Italy– Avv. Maurizio Scelli-Isp. II.VV. CRI Mila Braghetti Peretti.
- Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna University - representative of Magnifico Rettore .
- Bologna University “Conservazione dei Beni Culturali” - Prof. A. Panaino
- Bologna University “Scuola Traduttori e Interpreti SSLIMIT”- Prof. G. Aston
- Gorbachev Foundation– Dr. Marzio Dallagiovanna
- ASSOKIPLING – ANIOC and other friends of IPB Italia.
- the President of the Regional Council of Tuscany Dr. Riccardo Nencini.

Senator Mario Luzi, the famous Italian poet, Nobel Prize candidate for literature and bestowed with many important literary prizes will act as the Honorary President of our prize.

Esportare la pace attraverso l’educazione e la partecipazione dei giovani. Questo l’obiettivo di Ipb-Italia, l’ufficio nazionale autonomo con sede a Lugo di Romagna della più antica e vasta federazione mondiale di associazioni pacifiste, ricordato durante la cerimonia con la quale venerdì 5 novembre sono stati consegnati i diplomi di merito a 23 studentesse e studenti: 12 dell’Università di Scienze internazionali e diplomatiche Ruffilli e 9 della SSLIMIT per interpreti e traduttori di Forlì, 1 di Economia e commercio di Forlì e 1 di Medicina veterinaria di Ozzano Emilia.

Nella sala Gandolfi di Palazzo Mangelli di Forlì, alla presenza dei loro docenti, del pro-rettore Guido Gambetta, di Guy Aston, direttore della SSLIMIT, di Alberto Labate, della Facoltà di operatori di pace di Firenze, e dell’assessore all’Università del Comune di Forlì, Gian Franco Marzocchi, i ragazzi hanno ricevuto gli attestati che premiano la loro partecipazione alla riuscita del progetto avviato da IPB Italia per la riforma delle Nazioni Unite. Progetto culminato con l’organizzazione del convegno internazionale di Firenze il 25 e 26 settembre scorso, che ha visto la partecipazione di esperti, giuristi, membri di Ong e associazioni, e soprattutto la stesura del documento finale denominato l’«Appello di Firenze contro il flagello della guerra». «Il gruppo degli studenti ha svolto un lavoro prezioso – ha commentato Fulgida Barattoni, presidente di IPB Italia -, un lavoro di ricerca e studio, di analisi dei documenti prodotti dalla società civile, sintetizzandoli ed elaborandoli, sia come ‘ponte linguistico’ con l’indispensabile traduzione di quanto veniva prodotto. Una collaborazione, quella tra IPB e il mondo universitario che speriamo possa svilupparsi sempre più. I ragazzi attraverso le nostre attività possono usufruire di una sorta di palestra per i loro studi, mentre IPB non potrà che beneficiare della freschezza delle loro idee e delle loro capacità».

Il documento prodotto durante il convegno di Firenze è stato presentato ufficialmente il 3 novembre ad Anand Panyarachun, presidente dell’Alta Commissione costituita dal segretario generale delle Nazioni Unite Kofi Annan con mandato di esaminare la possibile riforma dell’Istituto sotto il profilo della pace e della sicurezza umana. La presidente dell’International Peace Bureau, Cora Weiss, era accompagnata da Massimo Toschi, vincitore dell’edizione 2004 di «Una favola per la pace», il premio letterario internazionale promosso da IPB Italia insieme al Comune di Lugo.

Link alle immagini e a passati articoli:

• La riforma delle Nazioni Unite passa dall’università di Forlì
• Le immagini dell’evento

Riceviamo da Massimo Toschi, nostro socio alle Nazioni Unite, la cronaca della cerimonia di consegna del documento prodotto dal “Focus Group”.

Il 3 novembre 2004 (giorno dei risultati delle elezioni presidenziali americane) presso il Millenium Hotel, affacciato sul Ground Zero, Cora Weiss, Presidente dell’International Peace Bureau, accompagnata da Alyn Ware, membro del IPB Council e da Massimo Toschi, in rappresentaza di I.P.B. - Italia, ha presentato l’”Appello di Firenze contro il flagello della guerra” a Anand Panyarachun, ex-primo ministro tailandese e Presidente dell’Alta Commissione costituita nel settembre 2003 dal Segretario Generale delle Nazioni Unite Kofi Annan con mandato di esaminare la possibile riforma dell’Istituto sotto il profilo della pace e della sicurezza umana.

• Le foto dell’evento