U.N. videoconference at Baruch

U.N. videoconference at Baruch

by Nino Makharadze
The Ticker (Baruch College)
March 06, 2006

“United Nations is a global village, everyone is interconnected,” said Abdelkader Abbadi, former deputy director of security Council and one of the members of the expert panel at the videoconference held last Tuesday.

During this event, which was hosted by student-run non-profit Organization AIESEC and non-partisan, non-profit organization Americans for Informed Democracy, four expert presenters were invited to talk and discuss the Future of the United Nations. The issue raised during the hour and a half of the videoconference was the reformation of the United Nations. Students from five universities, including the College of Charleston, University of South Carolina, University of Oklahoma, Christopher Newport University and Omaha University, participated in an active discussion.

The videoconference started with the first speaker, Gillian Sorensen’s discussion about the Millenium Development Goals. She stated that sooner or later there has to be a progress: “The nations have to come together to eradicate the prevalent poverty in the world”. The former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations emphasized on the vital issues that were discussed during the World Summit held in September of 2005.

One of the important topics at the Summit was Kofi Annan’s proposal on Human Rights Council, a body that appears likely to replace the discredited Commission on Human Rights. Another reform that was implemented was the Peace Building Commission that urges the developed countries to expand coordination.

Abdelkader Abbadi described the Reform as an “ongoing process.” He used Kofi Annan’s words and said that The United Nations’ search for excellence and constant improvement will continue. He stated that in global world, nations have to work together and it is expected that they come to a quick agreement on whatever issues they discuss.

The former Deputy Director of Security Council also added achievements that the United Nations had accomplished since the world summit: the Peace Building Commission, Human Rights council, reforming ECOSOC and lastly, the surge for reforming the Security Council, which has been an issue of debate for more than a decade on the expansion of this key decision-making council.

Abbadi stated that the United Nations is a real political body with veto power, which is vital for the world. He stressed the fact that if veto were not adopted, the United Nations would not “be born.” Since the veto is a protection of major interests, this is the reason why reforming the Security Council has been so difficult. He stated that if there were a room for negotiation, nations would not forgo their national interests.

Another speaker at this event, BBC correspondent to the United Nations, Susannah Price, said that since the United Nations has become a “massive organization” with 191 members, there is a power struggle between developed and developing countries and that is why the United Nations is so slow in regards to change. Due to the circumstances mentioned above, during the September world summit, Annan stressed the need for dramatic acceleration for developed countries to come together and to assist other rising nations.

Annan touched on environmental issues and the issue on increasing resources. Price stated “Everybody should be equal and nations should look further beyond their personal interests.”

The fourth expert speaker at the videoconference Linda Fasulo, U.N. correspondent, stated that in order to ensure the effective U.N. reformation, all states have to be armed with patience, display political will, show readiness, cooperation, flexibility and interest in other nations.

Educating American people to become part of the global community was one of the biggest issues stressed in order for the United States to take a wider perspective of the world. “We are part of a human family. Media has to be responsible, informed and it has to educate us in a thoughtful way… We have to learn to think in a larger sense, work with other nations,” said Sorensen.

The best solution for reforming the United Nations mentioned during the videoconference was for the United Nations to address its weaknesses and face the current and past challenges.

In addition, Sorensen urged the future leaders of the United States to help with implementation of Millennium Development Goals by appreciating global community, preparing to act, learning about the world, and learning about future careers that will make us global citizens.

This videoconference ended with Sorenson’s words, “We are idealists without illusion. Idealism is a driving force. It is something that makes us wake up everyday in the morning...it is worthwhile, if we are successful.”

This insightful conference brought together many different members of the Baruch student population—business students, political science majors and members of different student organizations. Whether the attendance from such a diverse group of people was the sense of idealism, or merely the interest in the future of the United Nations, is not certain. But this conference and Sorensen’s last words gave everyone present something to think about.