Panel discussion: can the United
Nations survive?
Opening remarks by Mustapha Tlili
October 2, 2003, New York, NY
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I will start this evening with Voltaire, the French philosopher, and the way he settled the critical question of the 18th century— that of the existence of God. If God did not exist, Voltaire declared, we would have to invent him, simply because of his usefulness to the social order.
In my view, any debate about the United Nations should start from the same premise— the world order requires it, and if the organization did not exist, we would have to invent it, or something like it.
You might then ask, why the question: Can the United Nations survive? To tell you the truth, it was a way of luring you here. [Laughter] As you can see it worked, and the auditorium is full.
But this means, in fact, that you, as an expression of public opinion, care about the United Nations and its future. The United Nations Charter expressly begins with "We, the peoples of the United Nations." You, the people, are here and therein lie the hopes, I believe, for the organization's future.
There are, however, doubts and questions. I am grateful to Kofi Annan for making my task easier by having put these questions in the starkest and clearest terms possible. Let me read from his opening statement to the current General Assembly. After presenting the argument of those who claim the right and obligation to use force preventively, in contravention of Article 51 of the Charter— which, I should remind you, is about the inherent right of self-determination retained by all states if attacked— the Secretary-General said the following to the heads of State and government and other leaders present in the Assembly Hall. And I quote:
My concern is that, if it were to be adopted,it [that means the right and obligation to use force preventively by some] could set precedents that resulted in a proliferation of the unilateral and lawless use of force, with or without justification.
Then the Secretary-General went on to say:
But it is not enough to denounce unilateralism, unless we also face up squarely to the concerns that make some States feel uniquely vulnerable, since it is those concerns that drive them to take unilateral action. We must show that those concerns can and will be addressed effectively through collective action.
And then the Secretary-General looked into the eyes of his listeners and challenged them as follows:
Excellencies, we have come to a fork in the road. This may be a moment no less decisive than 1945 itself, when the United Nations was founded. [Unquote]Back to the top.
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