Following the withdrawal of the United States from UNESCO and the reduction in funding to UN agencies working towards the Sustainable Development Goals, the concept of “human security” promoted by the United Nations appears to be continuing to weaken.

The creation, by the President of the United States, of a so-called “Board of Peace” represents a further challenge to the UN. In light of this scenario, the prospect of an urgent reform is becoming increasingly imperative.

Below, we reproduce the text published by the ‘New Foundation‘ working group, together with the thirteen proposals (in English and French) that have been put forward, including the abolition of the veto power, the strengthening of the Secretary-General’s role in mediation and peacekeeping, and greater involvement of NGOs through the establishment of a liaison committee with the UN.

Through these measures, the aim is to build a new international architecture grounded in multilateralism, in which the European Union may continue to play a significant role in the maintenance of peace.

The proposals also include the petition, open to everyone.

For a New Foundation of International Institutions

The United States’ withdrawal from UNESCO, combined with the drastic reduction of its financial aid to UN agencies promoting the achievement of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), was already undermining the objective of “human security” theorized by the UNDP in 1994 and progressively highlighted by various UN agencies, as acknowledged for example by Bertrand Badie in his book “L’Art de la Paix” (“The Art of Peace” – 2024).

We are now witnessing a new assault on the United Nations (UN) with the establishment by the President of the United States of a “Peace Council”, with prerogatives that would extend beyond the question of Gaza. This “Peace Council,” entirely under the control of the US President, would directly compete with the Security Council, which is already severely paralyzed by the veto power of its permanent members.

In this context, the hypothesis of a collapse of the UN as we know it becomes serious. We cannot resign ourselves to this erasure of the UN, and we believe that the situation instead requires an urgent reform of the UN. From this collapse could emerge, however, a new international organization such as the one we advocate in the New Foundation Project.

The New Foundation Project already advances 13 proposals, aware that change in the structure of the international community can come from civil society pressure. In fact, we believe that civil society will be all the more heard if it has concrete proposals to put forward (see petition available on the French National Assembly website and Change.org).

New Foundation thus proposes an expansion of permanent members of the Security Council to include countries representing the new South: Brazil, South Africa, India, and an Arab country. On this occasion, the veto power would disappear. The role of the Secretary General would be strengthened with a priority on negotiation and the deployment of peacekeepers in conflict resolution. The role of civil society would also be increased through its NGOs and the creation of an NGO-UN Liaison Committee.

This new structure could be supported by countries of the “New South” and by the entire international community, running counter to those who already disregard the UN Charter, such as the USA and Russia. It is time to acknowledge the non-compliance with the 1945 UN Charter and to rebuild from a common foundation of peace-building countries.

The European Union would have a full role to play there in helping to rebuild a new international community favourable to multilateralism and open to the eventual return of those who currently disregard it.
We thus call for a meeting of all international coalitions of NGOs aiming to refound the UN to support state initiatives in this direction.

 

By the office of the New Foundation collective

Ghislain Le Ray: Head of New Foundation Commission
Hervé Dory: Vice President of Pax Christi France
Vlatko Maric: Chaplain of Pax Christi France
Alfonso Zardi: Pax Christi International Representative to the Council of Europe
Marylin Pacouret: President of Chrétiens de la Méditerranée
Alain Rouy: National Secretary of the Peace Movement / Vice President of the IPB
(International Peace Bureau)
Marc Deluzet: MIAMSI
Consultants: Farah Sakr : PhD / Specialist in International Law; Christophe
Ouedraogo: Africa Group

 

Read the proposals and the petition link (English)

Lisez les propositions et le lien vers la pétition (Français)