Former world leaders call for a reform of the UN Security Council

MALTA - The InterAction Council of former heads of state and government calls for a reform of the United Nations Security Council.  As a contribution to the upcoming United Nations Summit of the Future, the Council today released The Malta Declaration on Multilateral Solutions for a Better Future with ten recommendations for rebuilding trust in multilateralism.

Meeting over three days at its Annual Plenary Meeting held in Valletta, Malta, on 15 - 17 May 2023, the InterAction Council discussed pressing world affairs such as the current situation in Ukraine, food and energy security, the state of multilateralism, corruption and the rule of law. The InterAction Council noted that the planet is facing a triple crisis of climate change, pandemic risk and a conflict that could lead to nuclear annihilation.

While civilians were taking shelter from air-raids over Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, the members of the InterAction Council expressed their deep concern with the war in Ukraine and called on Russia to immediately stop its illegal invasion and retreat in accordance with the internationally-recognized borders of Ukraine.

“The war in Ukraine is the latest example that our multilateral governance system is failing. At precisely the time that the world needs a collective response, the Security Council is at a gridlock. Ultimately, our global commons and our planet are at risk,” said the Council’s co-chairman Bertie Ahern, the former Prime Minister of Ireland.

The current global governance system is unable to foresee emerging and re-emerging threats, unable to manage and respond to these threats and thus, unable to maintain its legitimacy in the eyes of the global population. In an effort to reform the system, the United Nations has initiated wide consultations among Member States, experts and civil society within the framework of the Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda.

“We can do better. States need to commit to the multilateral system, to international law and the obligations they have signed on to. And we urgently need to reform the system to better respond to current and emerging threats, said Thomas S. Axworthy, the Secretary-General of the InterAction Council. “And the place to begin is the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024. This is the InterAction Council’s contribution to the Summit and we hope the United Nations and current world leaders will take our recommendations on board,” Axworthy continued.

In its continued effort to support the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court, the InterAction Council calls on all states to join the campaign.

“States should do everything in their power to end corruption. It undermines the rule of law and impacts the daily lives of far too many people in this world,” said Bertie Ahern. “It is not enough to leave this up to individual states, it is not enough to assume that all leaders will adhere to strict ethical principles. The International Anti-Corruption Court would step in when a state is unable to address corruption by its highest leadership.”

 

About the InterAction Council

Established in 1983, the InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government is an international organization whose objective is to address long-term, global issues facing humankind. Co-chaired by the Honourable Bertie Ahern (Prime Minister of Ireland, 1997-2008) and H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo (President of Nigeria, 1999-2007), the Council’s membership is comprised of more than forty former heads of state and government who volunteer their time to develop proposals for action and submit them directly to national and international decision-makers.

In its 40-year history, the InterAction Council has been at the forefront of many prominent issues, most notably the 1997 draft Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities; the 2010 Hiroshima Declaration, a powerful plea for the abolishment of nuclear weapons; the 2012 report, The Global Water Crisis: Addressing an Urgent Security Issue; and most recently, the 2017 Dublin Charter for One Health.

In an effort to foster intergenerational dialogue, the InterAction Council invited youth ambassadors from One Young World to participate in its Annual Plenary Meeting.