wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Kobia writes to Annan on UN reform

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 21/04/2005

KOBIA SHARES WCC VIEWPOINT ON UN REFORM REPORT WITH KOFI ANNAN

A memorandum sent today by the World Council of Churches' (WCC) general
secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, to the United Nations secretary-general,
Kofi Annan, shares WCC points of view on issues dealt with in Annan's
report on reforming the UN.

Annan's report is entitled "In larger freedom: towards development,
security and human rights for all". The WCC memorandum critiques particular sections of the report, as well as an earlier report on threats,
challenges and change by the UN High Level Panel (HLP) established by the
UN secretary-general, and the report of the UN Millennium Project.

On peace and security, the WCC memorandum is concerned about a "far-reaching interpretation" of Article 51 of the UN Charter as allowing pre-emptive
military action "as long as the threat is imminent".

"There is no consensus among international law experts on such a reading,
and we would not wish the UN to give away so much of its responsibility,"
the memorandum stipulates.

On UN institutional reform, the memorandum notes that "permanent membership [of the Security Council] that is limited to five countries that derive
their primacy from events that occurred sixty years ago is not acceptable."
The Council needs more relevant representation from Asia, Africa and Latin
America and a permanent seat for a country with a Muslim identity.
Furthermore, "a condition for any new permanent membership should be a
clear and verified status as a non-nuclear-weapon state," it says.

The WCC memorandum offers comments on other parts of the report, including
sections on economic justice and poverty eradication, and the environment.
It also suggests that the HLP report "has overlooked the increased role of
religion in conflicts, international affairs and politics".

"We would like to encourage you to explore ways for the UN to work
closely, constructively and creatively with this issue, seeking to
understand and interpret the growing influence of religion, searching for
ways to prevent a destructive role for religion and to promote religion's
constructive role."

The full text of the memorandum by the WCC general secretary is available
on our website at: http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/international/un-reform.html

For more information, please contact Peter Weiderud: +41 22 791 63 06.
Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org

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The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 347, in
more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly,
which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally
inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by
general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.