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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8914
THE DAY IN POLITICS / (eu) eu/un

Kofi Annan wants to consolidate multilateralism

Brussels, 22/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday evening European Union foreign affairs ministers were expected to discus the “In Greater Freedom” report, which was presented by the UN Secretary General in New York on Monday. This report is aimed at making the multilateral system more efficient, by adapting it to current challenges. Essentially, the Kofi Annan report looks at the recommendations presented last December by a high level group under the title “A safer World: Everyone's Concern”. He highlights development by calling for a calendar for guaranteeing respect of developed countries' commitments to dedicate 0.7% of GNP to development aid by 2015 at the latest. The fight against AIDS and other poverty related diseases; the fight against corruption, preventing wars, stepping up the struggle against the proliferations of nuclear, chemical and small arms, as well as the war on terrorism are in pride of place in the report, which also calls for reform of the UN: revitalisation of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council; revision of the Security Council based on two choices (the addition of six permanent seats without rights to veto and three non-permanent seats of two years duration or the addition of eight renewable seats of four years and one non-permanent and non-renewable seat of two years); transformation of the Geneva Commission of Human Rights into permanently sitting Council; setting up of a Commission for the consolidation of peace.

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THE DAY IN POLITICS
GENERAL NEWS
ECONOMIC INTERPENETRATION