FrankRep
12-21-2009, 10:12 AM
President Obama and a New World Order (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704240504574585611840106426.html?m od=wsj_share_facebook)
The doctrine of a unipolar or bipolar world as the ultimate guarantor of global peace and stability is a proven failure.
THORBJøRN JAGLAND | Wall Street Journal
(Mr. Jagland is secretary-general of the Council of Europe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Europe).)
DECEMBER 10, 2009
The last time I looked, our world had two poles, one in the North and one in the South. In my view, these are all the poles we need—and it seems that recent world history points towards the same conclusion. The doctrine of a unipolar or bipolar world as the ultimate guarantor of global peace and stability has had its chance—and blown it.
What should emerge in its place is a different type of world order, based on rights and responsibilities which are equal for all. There is nothing new about this concept. It was built in the Charter of United Nations signed 54 years ago and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights three years later.
After more than half a century of trial and error, the world community is slowly coming to the conclusion that they got it right the first time around. Of course we are not there yet, and for every couple of steps forward, there is an inevitable retreat, but slowly and steadily, the world is changing.
It will come as no surprise if I say that U.S. President Barack Obama has done much to accelerate this process. Of course the world cannot be changed overnight, and it cannot be changed by a single individual. But it can be positively influenced. And if the influence is coming from the White House, that helps as well.
During the first year of his mandate, President Obama has made significant steps to breach the geopolitical, cultural and religious divides that had emerged and deepened over the years and that have fueled tensions and violence in virtually every part of the world. He has put an end to the notion that the United States is above the rules that apply to everyone else.
Of course, some hope that he will achieve even more and many, including myself, expect that the achievements of the first year are only a sample of what is still to come. But be it as it may, in my view, his acts during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind, and this is why he was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Peace.
However, I am not writing this article as the chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, but as the newly elected secretary-general of the 47-member-strong Council of Europe, the guardian of the European Convention on Human Rights.
There is a strong parallel between the multilateral community of nations under the auspices of the United Nations and the community of European nations working together on the basis of common values within the framework of the Council of Europe.
And there is a recent development related to the Council of Europe—the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights—which could serve as inspiration in the consolidation of a multilateral global world.
The ratification of the EU Lisbon Treaty paves the way for this historic act, which will be good for the European Union and good for human rights in Europe. There is no doubt that the EU has an enormous power to do good, but with the exercise of every power, even the most benevolent one, comes the risk of making mistakes, creating injustice and breaching human rights.
This act will in no way diminish the influence and reputation of the European Union when it comes to the respect of human rights. To the contrary, by accepting the same rights and obligations as everyone else on the European continent, the EU is sending a powerful signal that when it comes to human rights, the rules are equal for all.
I hope that the U.S. will be inspired by the example of the European Union. Of course, for reasons of geography, the United States cannot join the European Convention on Human Rights. But what it can do is to ratify the Rome Treaty on the International Criminal Tribunal, which was created to protect the world from the worst violations of human rights. This will not only be a huge boost to its own international credibility and influence, but also a huge step forward for peace and stability in the world.
Mr. Jagland is secretary-general of the Council of Europe.
SOURCE:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704240504574585611840106426.html?m od=wsj_share_facebook
The doctrine of a unipolar or bipolar world as the ultimate guarantor of global peace and stability is a proven failure.
THORBJøRN JAGLAND | Wall Street Journal
(Mr. Jagland is secretary-general of the Council of Europe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Europe).)
DECEMBER 10, 2009
The last time I looked, our world had two poles, one in the North and one in the South. In my view, these are all the poles we need—and it seems that recent world history points towards the same conclusion. The doctrine of a unipolar or bipolar world as the ultimate guarantor of global peace and stability has had its chance—and blown it.
What should emerge in its place is a different type of world order, based on rights and responsibilities which are equal for all. There is nothing new about this concept. It was built in the Charter of United Nations signed 54 years ago and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights three years later.
After more than half a century of trial and error, the world community is slowly coming to the conclusion that they got it right the first time around. Of course we are not there yet, and for every couple of steps forward, there is an inevitable retreat, but slowly and steadily, the world is changing.
It will come as no surprise if I say that U.S. President Barack Obama has done much to accelerate this process. Of course the world cannot be changed overnight, and it cannot be changed by a single individual. But it can be positively influenced. And if the influence is coming from the White House, that helps as well.
During the first year of his mandate, President Obama has made significant steps to breach the geopolitical, cultural and religious divides that had emerged and deepened over the years and that have fueled tensions and violence in virtually every part of the world. He has put an end to the notion that the United States is above the rules that apply to everyone else.
Of course, some hope that he will achieve even more and many, including myself, expect that the achievements of the first year are only a sample of what is still to come. But be it as it may, in my view, his acts during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind, and this is why he was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Peace.
However, I am not writing this article as the chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, but as the newly elected secretary-general of the 47-member-strong Council of Europe, the guardian of the European Convention on Human Rights.
There is a strong parallel between the multilateral community of nations under the auspices of the United Nations and the community of European nations working together on the basis of common values within the framework of the Council of Europe.
And there is a recent development related to the Council of Europe—the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights—which could serve as inspiration in the consolidation of a multilateral global world.
The ratification of the EU Lisbon Treaty paves the way for this historic act, which will be good for the European Union and good for human rights in Europe. There is no doubt that the EU has an enormous power to do good, but with the exercise of every power, even the most benevolent one, comes the risk of making mistakes, creating injustice and breaching human rights.
This act will in no way diminish the influence and reputation of the European Union when it comes to the respect of human rights. To the contrary, by accepting the same rights and obligations as everyone else on the European continent, the EU is sending a powerful signal that when it comes to human rights, the rules are equal for all.
I hope that the U.S. will be inspired by the example of the European Union. Of course, for reasons of geography, the United States cannot join the European Convention on Human Rights. But what it can do is to ratify the Rome Treaty on the International Criminal Tribunal, which was created to protect the world from the worst violations of human rights. This will not only be a huge boost to its own international credibility and influence, but also a huge step forward for peace and stability in the world.
Mr. Jagland is secretary-general of the Council of Europe.
SOURCE:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704240504574585611840106426.html?m od=wsj_share_facebook