Created in the aftermath of global conflict, the United Nations embodies a shared commitment to peace, human dignity, equality, and international cooperation.

Today, this vision faces growing challenges, from geopolitical tensions and armed conflicts to inequality and climate crises. These pressures have also intensified calls for a more effective, representative, and inclusive multilateral system.

Europe and the European Union remain committed to multilateralism, while recognising the need for greater coherence and stronger dialogue with partners across the Global South and beyond.

Organised by MEP Della Valle (The Left) and Pax Christi International, this conference brought together diverse perspectives to discuss the future of multilateralism and pathways towards a more just, inclusive, and peaceful international order.

🗓️ Tuesday, September 29th

🕑 18:30

📍 European Parliament Building, Brussels – Room 1G2 and online

The discussion featured contributions from the Members of the European Parliament.

Moderated by: Giulia Bordin, Pax Christi International (PCI)

Welcome and Introductions

  • Danilo Della Valle, MEP (The Left)
  • Alfonso Scarano, Ass. Federico Caffè

Keynote Address: Khalid Malik, Development economist and former UNDP Human Development Report Director. Written contribution: A United Nations for a Changed World

UN Perspective: Rory Keane, Head of Office of the United Nations Liaison Office for Peace and Security (UNLOPS), Brussels Office

Panel discussion: Crisis or Opportunity? Multilateralism in a Fragmented World

  • Leoluca Orlando, MEP (Greens/EFA)
  • Mattia Tosato, Representative of PCI at UNOG
  • Ei Hnin Hlaing and Saul Kenny, Article 109

Panel discussion: Multilateralism in Practice

Panel discussion: Europe’s Leverage: Can the EU Shape UN Reform?

Closing remarks

  • Michael von der Schulenburg, MEP 
  • Danilo Della Valle
  • Giulia Bordin

 

Read Pax Christi International’s Recommendations here

SPEAKERS’ BIOS

🔵​ Alfonso Onofrio Maria Scarano is an electronic Engineer and independent financial analyst with extensive experience in finance, corporate valuation, risk analysis, and credit assessment. He holds a Master’s in Business Management from MIP – Politecnico di Milano and a Master’s in Finance from AIAF, with EFFAS recognition.
AIAF member since 1997, he has served as Vice President and contributed to committees on financial analysis, corporate valuation, and banking. He has also worked as a technical expert and consultant for judicial authorities. He is a substitute arbitrator at the Banking and Financial Ombudsman (ABF) and President of AssoTAG. He is actively involved in research and public communication on economic and financial issues.

🔵​ Alfonso Zardi is an Italian lawyer and former senior Council of Europe official with extensive experience in democracy, governance, transparency, peace, and citizen participation. He led democratic transformation programs across the Balkans, Caucasus, and Ukraine. He was General Delegate of Pax Christi France (2019–2024), promoting peace education, dialogue, and cooperation across Europe and internationally. Since 2025, he has represented European Justice and Peace Commissions and Pax Christi International at the Council of Europe. Based in Strasbourg, he teaches and lectures on European history, international relations, justice, and peace.

🔵​ Danilo Della Valle, who hosted the event, is a Member of the European Parliament for The Left party, elected in 2022 with the Five Stars Movement. He holds a degree in International Relations and a background in foreign policy, journalism and parliamentary affairs.
He has written extensively on international and geopolitical issues, particularly on Europe and Latin America, and has been actively involved in the Five Stars Movement in Campania for several years.

🔵​ Ei Hnin Hlaing is the Network Manager at Article 109, focused on strengthening the growing network of civil society organisations that support UN Charter review. She previously worked on anticipatory action at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

🔵​ Emad Kiyaei is a political risk, disarmament and diplomacy expert, co-author of Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction and a director at the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO). He has advised UN Security Council members during the Iran nuclear negotiations and held research and teaching positions at Princeton, Columbia and Hamilton College. He regularly lectures and contributes to international media on Middle East and disarmament issues. He holds a Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University.

🔵​ Florian Eblenkamp supports ICANs work in Nuclear Umbrella states and works with partner organisations across the world. His work centers around leveraging political processes and extending the support for the TPNW in countries whose governments are not yet supportive of the treaty. As such, he focuses on strengthening the ICAN Parliamentary Pledge and the ICAN Cities Appeal and ensuring good relationships with parliamentarians and civil-society organisations. Florian has been a key contributor to ICAN’s advocacy strategies, actively engaging in media interviews, public speaking and political outreach. He studied International Relations & Management in Regensburg and holds an MA in Public Policy from King’s College London as well as an MA in Political Data Journalism from the University of Zurich. His academic background allows him to analyse complex statistical models and effectively communicate data-driven insights. His professional experience includes internships and consultancies including at the European Commission, the German Ministry for Development Cooperation and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

🔵​ Giulia Bordin is Advocacy Officer at Pax Christi International. She has almost ten years of professional experience in advocacy at the European and international levels, complemented by an academic background in human rights, international relations, and political science. Alongside her studies and professional career, she has remained actively engaged in volunteer initiatives promoting peace, disarmament, human rights, and equality.

🔵​ Khalid Malik is a development economist and former Director of the Human Development Report Office at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a position he held from 2011.
Mr Malik has had a distinguished UN career, serving as UN Resident Coordinator in China, Director of the Evaluation Office, UN Representative in Uzbekistan, and Special Advisor on New Development Partnerships. He has worked extensively across Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean and has written and spoken widely on development, China’s growth, climate change, and global security.
He has authored and co-edited several publications on development and received an honorary doctorate from Nanchang University. In 2009, he was named one of China’s ten environmental “champions,” the only foreigner to receive the honour.

🔵​ Leoluca Orlando is an Italian Member of the European Parliament with the Greens/EFA group and the former Mayor of Palermo. A lawyer by training, he has long worked on human rights, the rule of law, peace and international cooperation.

🔵​ Luigi Ferrajoli is a judge and philosopher. Between 1970 and 2003 he was a professor at the Università degli Studi di Camerino, teaching Philosophy of Law and General Theory of Law. During those years, he held, among other positions, that of Director of the Institute of Historical, Legal, Philosophical and Political Studies. From 2003 on, he has taught at Universtà Roma Tre, where he is currently Professor Emeritus of Philosophy of Law. He is also Doctor Honoris Causa in several university. His most important works include Per una Constituzione della Terra. L’umanità al bivio (2022), La construzione della democracia. Teoria del garantismo costituzionale (2021), Manifesto per l’uguaglianza (2018), Constituzionalismo oltre lo Stato (2017), Potere Selvaggi. La crisi della democracia italiana (2011), and Principia iuris. Teoria del diritto e della democracia (3 volumes, 2007).

🔵​ Marco Tarquinio is a Member of the European Parliament with the S&D party. He comes from a long career in journalism, including 14 years as editor-in-chief of the Italian daily Avvenire, where he focused extensively on international affairs, peace and social issues.

🔵​ Martha Inés Romero Medina is a Colombian peace practitioner and has served as Secretary General of Pax Christi International since 2023. A Board member since 2007, she spent 14 years leading the organization’s Latin America and Caribbean programme on peacebuilding, advocacy, and nonviolent action. Previously, she managed development, humanitarian, and peace programmes for Oxfam Great Britain and Catholic Relief Services, and has advised Caritas Internationalis and partners worldwide on faith-based advocacy since 2010.

🔵​ Matteo Lucatello joined UNRWA’s Representative Office for Europe in January 2020. As Liaison Officer, he follows the Agency’s partnership with EU’s institutions – in particular European Parliament and the European Commission (DG MENA).
Before joining UNRWA, Matteo worked for different EU institutions including the EEAS, the European Parliament and the European Commission.
Matteo is an Italian national who holds two master degrees in International Relations and European Studies.

🔵​ Mattia Tosato represents Pax Christi International at the United Nations in Geneva, advocating for peace, human rights and multilateral cooperation. With more than a decade of experience across multilateral institutions, government and civil society, he specialises in humanitarian affairs, migration and international policy. He previously worked with the UN in Brussels, engaging with EU institutions and Member States.

🔵​ Michael von der Schulenburg is a German Member of the European Parliament and a non-attached Member. A former senior United Nations and international diplomat, with extensive experience in international peace and security, including from his work with the UN and OSCE.

🔵​ Rory Keane, Head of Office, United Nations Liaison Office for Peace and Security (UNLOPS). Before his appointment as Head of UNLOPS, Rory Keane worked for the United Nations Special Envoy for the Sahel Region and served as the security sector advisor to the UN Special Representative in Liberia. Prior to that, he was Team Leader of the OECD International Network on Conflict and Fragility, European Commission Desk Officer for the DRC and Great Lakes, as well as the OSCE Spokesperson in the former Yugoslavia. Rory Keane holds a PhD in International Relations and a Marie Curie post-doctoral fellowship on EU peace and security policy. He speaks English, French and German.

🔵​ Saul Kenny is the Communication Manager at Article 109. He is also an EU foreign policy researcher and grassroots political activist. Saul previously worked at the European Commission.

🔵​ Sean Conner was appointed Executive Director of IPB in October 2022. He has a background in intercultural education and community development; he leads from the IPB an agenda of dialogue, disarmament, and international cooperation. He advocates for intersectional alliances and the strengthening of civil society, promoting negotiated solutions to armed conflicts and wars. He holds a Bachelor’s in Intercultural and Critical Communication Studies from the State University of New York at Geneseo and a Master’s in Intercultural Conflict Management from the Alice Salomon Hochschule. Prior to joining the IPB team in Berlin he worked for the Centre for Cross-Cultural Study (CC-CS) in the USA and in community development with the non-profit Enlace Project in Nicaragua.

🔵​ Sharon Dolev is a peace and human rights activist focused on nuclear disarmament and eliminating weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East. She is the founder and Executive Director of the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO) and founder of the Israeli Disarmament Movement (IDM).
With over 35 years of social and political activism, Sharon has been involved in Israeli peace and human rights initiatives, including Women in Black, Combatants for Peace and the Geneva Initiative. She has also worked with the Association for Human Rights and hosted a radio program on security and democracy in Israel.

🔵​ Sister Wamũyũ Teresia Wachira is a scholar, educator and peace practitioner whose work bridges theology, academia, and grassroots engagement. A member of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she holds a PhD in Peace Studies and serves as Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Peace and Conflict Studies at St Paul University in Nairobi. Her lifelong commitment to women’s leadership, youth empowerment, and active nonviolence has shaped educational institutions and community initiatives across Kenya and beyond. She integrates academic rigor with lived practice, forming leaders capable of transforming conflict through dialogue, reconciliation, and justice.