Dear Jeff,
I want to thank you for your bold and visionary statement at the UN Security Council's special meeting on Sustaining Peace through Development.
As you know, I have differed with you on some of your analysis, proposals and recommendations in the past, including on Ukraine, the Millennium Village project, and some aspects of the "shock therapy", etc. But I have always admired your fresh thinking, creative ideas and bold proposals.
In the case of this particular statement to the UNSC, I whole-heartedly welcome the overall approach you recommend including the establishment of a new Peace and Development Fund to address the post-war reconstruction and development needs of the four major conflicts in Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, Syria and the Sahel region.
What I find most exciting and appealing is your bold proposal for a 10% reduction in the bloated defense budgets of the world's largest military spenders and its reallocation for the new Peace and Development Fund that you propose.
But what a pity that not a single Security Council member, nor any other UN member states that participated in the open SC debate following your presentation, and not even the Secretary-General, bothered to comment on or commend your bold and innovative proposal (according to the report of the SC meeting that the Secretariat put out in the link below).
I hope that you got more positive and receptive feedback in your informal discussions with the delegates and senior staff of the UN Secretariat.
Despite this seemingly disappointing initial feedback, I hope that upon further reflection, the SG, some open-minded and free-thinking diplomats, and some enlightened statesmen will come to entertain your proposal in due course.
You may have been too far ahead of the super-cautious and fossilized thinking of the diplomats present at the SC hearing today, but hopefully, wiser statesmen will come around to appreciate your visionary ideas in the not-too-distant future. We need such bold ideas to maintain the continuing relevance of the UN.
So, please continue to press on.
With best wishes -
Jeff Sach’s testimony before the UNSC is a must-see, must-hear, must-heed, if we only care to bounce back and rise from the anarchy and chaos we are plunged into. Time for the UNSC to heed the words of wisdom from intellectuals that count. There is enough wisdom in the world to fall back upon if we only care. Regrettably (and it is sad for me to repeat here as I do with a heavy heart) politics has turned to be the last bastion of scoundrels, propped up by bigger scoundrels around them, looking for short term gains, oblivious of the misery they bring along as a consequence. Jeff Sachs has pointed out where the malady lies. And it does not surprise, as you state, Kul, that the UNSC chose to overlook if not ignore what Sachs had stated. We couldn’t have descended lower with poor quality of political leadership all around. Sad indeed!
ReplyDeleteWas it just me? Although it was great to see the Sahel crisis highlight as a massive global conflict (that gets very little attention), the testimony was weakest at this point, when it came to proposing a solution. Really stood out for me, but maybe not for others. A hugely complex crisis, but sadly I didn't see a solution proposed.
ReplyDeleteDear Kul,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for sharing this important exchange. The idea of diverting much needed resources from the industry of death and destruction to peace and development has long been part of the agenda of enlightened humanists. I remember that the World Congress of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Literacy, Tehran, Iran, 1965, endorsed the Shah's proposal for creation of a UNIVERAL WELFARE LEGION. This plan was to be funded by allocation of one day's military budget of all countries for eradication of illiteracy. Later the UN changed the concept and named it as the now well-known UN Volunteers programme. In a unprincipled act the Shah’s initiative was deleted in the history of this global programme.
I came across two issues worthy of mention during my two-year study preparing the 1986 Board paper on Children in Situations of Armed Conflict. We are familiar with the noble concept of children as zones of peace promoted by our late Swedish humanitarian friend, Nils Thidin. On invitation of the Swedish Government, I visited Sweden. During the meetings and consultations one of the women leaders of this country shared her practical vision with me. She pointed out that the idea of diverting resources from arms to development was a tiring old message. By bringing children’s basic unmet needs to the equation, UNICEF could only succeed in stirring emotions and causing some tears to be shed. No impact would be made. Wars produced the greatest profits for which leaders of countries producing most of the arms satisfied their lust for power and profit. The profit motive is the greatest factor governing decisions of most leaders of world powers. Humanists can succeed ONLY BY MAKING PEACE PROFITABLE. For this agenda the Swedes were promoting the idea of CONVERTIBILITY, she stressed. I don not need to explain this idea to gurus such as yourself.
Furthermore, by working with UNICEF I came across two other relevant issues. One the scientific and professional human resources diverted to the arms industry far outweighs the economic factor. During my first stint with UNICEF (1968-1970) as the Regional Planning Officer for EAPRO I was trying to create an inventory of leading social scientists and researchers. UNICEF as you well know was fast moving in the direction of transforming from an emergency supply entity into a children’s development agency. Every leading scientist I identified was engaged and could not be available to assist our plans for the well-being of children. To my deep dismay I later realized they were all engaged in a research project generously funded by the US military.
While after nearly forty years I cannot remember how I did the calculations, but using the 1985 figures available on military spending I concluded that IF OVER TEN YEARS EVERY YEAR TEN PER CENT OF RESOURCES ALLOCATED TO THE WORLD’S ARMS INDUSTRY WAS DIVERTED TO MEETING BASIC HUMAN NEEDS ALL SCOURGES OF HUMANITY, SUCH AS POVERTY, DISEASE, ILLITERACY, WOULD BE ERADICATED AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF LASTING PEACE WOULD BE CREATED.
I was in Kenya, (1988-191) and had a discourse with the Israel Ambassador in Kenya. I think I made a compelling case on how Israel could achieve lasting peace by agreeing to the UN peace plan that had even been endorsed by the US, respecting the dignity of Palestinians. Such a peace would make it possible for Israel technology, most appropriate for the region, to be applied widely and end the scourges of destitution, healing the deep wounds by the occupation. Israel's profit would soar. So would its image as not only a great regional power, but a highly respected force for global development. (I have detailed this plan in the co-peace document and can share it would you again if you missed it)
So as you stated in your very wise concluding words, we should not give up and such efforts should be encouraged and such ideas spread
With much hope
Baquer
Thanks for sharing dear Baquer. Niloufar
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