Part of the agenda of celebration of the “United Nations Day,” the Egyptian Council of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Faculty of Economics& Political Sciences in Cairo University organized a joint Seminar on the 4th and 5th of December 2016 titled “Egypt and the United Nations…a Year of Contribution”.
Several members of the Council participated in the seminar:
-Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Shaker was the moderator of the first session titled “Egypt’s Contribution in the United Nations activities in the field of International Peace and Security -Disarmament &Peacekeeping. Along with Professor Dr. Mohamed Salman Tayea as the commentator.
-Ambassador Dr. Mounir Zahran was the moderator of the third session titled “Egypt’s contribution in United Nations activities in the field of Development, specialized Agencies activities, Economic groupings, and the UN program budget.
-Ambassador Dr. Anis Salem was the moderator of the sixth session titled “Egypt contribution in UN activities in Cultural, Social and Humanitarian fields as well as Human Rights and Anti-Human Trafficking.
-Ambassador Dr. Moustafa Al Feki was the moderator as well as the Commentator of the seventh session titled “The Role of the Institute of Diplomatic Studies and Faculty of Economics & Political Sciences in building the expertise of Egyptian Diplomats regarding multilateral issues.
It is to be noted that, Chair of the Council Ambassador Dr. Mounir Zahran gave at the opening of the Seminar a speech included: –
-In fact it comes right to my mind the imprints Egypt has had as a founding member of this International Organization through the participation of the late Abdel Hamid Badawi Pacha in drafting the Charter of the United Nations in the city of San Francisco in the United States. The first proposed name for the Organization was “the Organization of the United States,” as it is an Organization assembling Governments of member states not Nations, however to avoid any confusion with the name of the United States of America it was conclusively given its actual name as the” Organization of the United Nations” even though it doesn’t assemble Nations.
-Although the core principles constituting the pillars of the United Nation cannot go unnoticed by any scholar, especially those configured in the goals and principles of the Organization in the first article of the Charter, and in particular the seven goals stipulated in the second article, it is noted with regret that after 70 years of the creation of the Organization, the principles of the Charter still have not throughout years been respected even in the provisions of the fifth and seventh chapter neither in the practices of some member states nor in the Security Council.
He pointed to some distinguished Egyptian names who made significant contributions in the service of humanity and prosperity of mankind and the fulfillment of his rights and commitments. I point out here in particular to the late Dr. Mahmoud AzmiPacha who participated in drafting the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” in 1948, and the late Dr. BotrousGhali the 6th Secretary General of the United Nations who left humanity the “Peace Agenda” of 1992, and many other initiatives, and in particular world conferences throughout the 1990s starting the ‘Earth Summit’ in Rio in 1992.
Considering the fact that the United Nations is one of the consequences and results of the Second World War and the victory of the Allied Powers, what could have happened to the world had the Axis Powers achieved victory; with the probability of the creation of a different Organization other than the United Nations with a probable name of the non-United Nations.
If Chapter 5 of the Charter of Membership and Decision Making at the Security Council reflects the balance of power right after the Second World War, that balance throughout and after 70 years of the creation of the Organization, has changed. Isn’t it time now to adjust this imbalance resulting from the application of the Charter provision with all the defects it contains?
Since the 2005 world summit which was held at the 60th session of the General Assembly adopted resolution 60/1 which produced the transformation of Human Right committee into Human Rights Council reporting directly to the General Assembly (not to the ECOSOC) which alone can elect its members who were sized down to 47 instead of 53, and the creation of the Peace Building Committee (one of Dr. BotrousGhali proposals in the “Agenda For Peace” in 1992); why then were the other recommendations of Resolution 60/1 neglected? I point here at amendment or annulation of chapters 11, 12, and 13 on “Non self-governing territories”, “International Trusteeship System” and “the Trusteeship Council” which all have no meaning after the elimination of colonialism.
What about the Assistance for development and the commitment of donor countries with a 0.7% of their GNP for the financing of this assistance (ODA)?
Where are regarding the report of the Secretary General Kofi Anan at the 59th session of the General Assembly (included in the World Summit Agenda at the 60th session) about the amendment of provisions of the Charter regarding measures to be taken by the Security Council against any enemy state as stipulated in Article 53 paragraph 1 and 2 and Article 107 of the Charter, noting that enemy states are now members of the European Union and NATO like Germany and Italy not to mention Japan.
What about the impossibility of amending the charter in the considering the actual drafting of both articles 108 and 109,which require a two third majority vote in favor, including all Security Council permanent members?
