In our view, humanity stands at the crossroads. Many of the legal and institutional foundations established after two world wars for a human rights centered world are under siege.
The United Nations finds itself paralysed in the midst of escalating great power tensions, unrestrained aggression, disastrous loss of life, mass displacement, war crimes, and the brazen disregard of international law. And all of this while climate change and the nuclear threat hang over us like a sword of Damocles.
We believe it is time to grapple with the hard questions: Is there a pathway out of the dead end we’ve reached? What does such a pathway look like? Can the UN system be reformed, or transformed? Can we breathe new life into the international legal order? What might all this involve?
We want to spell out a new direction, but also point to the steps needed along the way. How do we create the necessary momentum for change? Where can we expect leadership to come from? What energies and resources can be brought to bear on such an enterprise?
We are especially delighted that Dr Grace Pandor will be a key contributor to this discussion.
Dr Pandor is a remarkable South African educator, academic and politician. She served as South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation 2019-2024 and led the country’s historic genocide case of December 2023 brought against Israel in the International Court of Justice; she was an ANC MP since majority rule in 1994, and held several ministerial responsibilities. She was responsible for a complete overhaul of the nation’s education system. Peace & Planet News
