São Paulo – In addition to changes in the multilateral financial institutions, Arab and South American countries are also favourable to the reform of the United Nations (UN), according to the draft text of the final declaration of the 2nd Summit of Arab-South American Countries (Aspa), to which ANBA obtained exclusive access. The meeting of heads of state and government is going to take place on March 31st and April 01st, in Doha, Qatar.
"To fulfil its role, the United Nations requires a broad and integral reform, especially concerning the General Assembly, the Security Council (SC) and the Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc), to render each of these organs more efficient, democratic, transparent and representative according to their respective nature and functions and the purpose for which they were created,” according to the document, which may still undergo changes.
The text does not specify which changes are required in the opinion of the countries from the two blocs. The UN reform issue, however, has been under discussion for some time now, and in the case of Brazil, it occupies an important position in the list of foreign policy priorities. The country defends, for instance, the strengthening of the General Assembly, a change in the SC to accommodate a larger number of permanent members, and greater influence of the Ecosoc’s rulings on the decisions made by other agencies, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
The Brazilian diplomacy underscores the fact that the organisation, particularly the SC, has the same configuration as it did in the post-war period, whereas the geopolitical scenario has drastically changed since then. At different international forums, the Brazilian government has been calling for greater participation of emerging nations in multilateral institutions. The country itself wants a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
The Doha text highlights the commitment of Arab and South American countries to the multilateral system for making decisions of global impact in different areas. Such is the case, for instance, of fighting poverty and hunger. To that extent, the governments of the two regions are asking developed countries to meet the commitments made to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and reaffirm their dedication to strengthening the Committee on World Food Security, linked to the FAO, as "the multilateral forum in which all States can find alternatives to resolve the world food insecurity."
Also in the area of political and diplomatic coordination, the Aspa governments reaffirm the need for fair and lasting peace in the Middle East, especially concerning the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. In a plea for multilateralism, they call for UN resolutions adopted on the theme up to now, condemn the Israeli attacks to Gaza early this year and defend the opening of frontiers of the territory to allow the supply of products and services and avoid a greater deterioration in the humanitarian situation at the site.
In the same line, the countries of both blocs pointed out the need for unity, freedom, sovereignty and independence of Iraq and "express deep concern” with regard to unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States to Syria. "Engagement, not isolation, is a more effective way to promote dialogue and understanding among countries," says the text.
The document also declares that the Middle East as a whole should be free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, so that there may be safety and stability in the region. It also stresses the importance of regional and international cooperation to fight drug trafficking, human trafficking and illicit trade of small and light weapons, transnational organized crime and proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
The minutes of the final declaration also make clear the position of the governments to condemn terrorism in all its forms and the importance of international cooperation in the weakening of this question.
Cultural initiatives
In the cultural area, the Doha declaration points out the initiatives that were taken after the 1st Aspa Summit, which took place in 2005, with the release of the idea of construction of an Aspa Library in Algeria. The Algerian government donated a three-hectare area for the installations to be erected. Another topic mentioned is the release of the initiative of a study and research centre about the South American countries in Morocco, for which the country decided to turn an area of two hectares.
Still in this area, the document recalls the release of the BibliAspa site, with works from both regions, and book "Deleite do estrangeiro em tudo o que é espantoso e maravilhoso: estudo de um relato de viagem bagdali" (Foreign delight in all that is surprising and marvellous: a study of a Baghdadi trip), by Iman Abdurrahman Al-Baghdadi, who travelled Brazil in the 19th century. The book, based on the original manuscripts, was translated and organized by Paulo Farah, a professor at the University of São Paulo (USP).
The text also points out the promotion of exhibition "Amrik", of pictures about the Arab immigration of South America, which travelled several countries, and the promotion of a seminar about the influence of Arab culture in Ibero-American nations, promoted in Rio de Janeiro in 2008. Rio should be the stage for the second meeting of ministers of Culture of both blocs, in May.
The minutes also point out the part played by South Americans of Arab origin and vice versa in the strengthening of relations between both regions and declares the interest of governments in expanding exchange in the area of cultural economics, including cooperation in the preservation of material and immaterial assets.
In the chapter about dialogue between civilisations, the document says that nations in both regions reaffirm their engagement with regard to the establishment of international spaces for the debate of the theme. They have also decided to promote a seminar about dialogue between Arab and South American countries and defended the importance of supporting initiatives in the area, like those already taken by Saudi Arabia and the UN itself.
Development
The Doha declaration and the Aspa initiative are sustained by South-South cooperation, i.e., between developing countries. In the case of Brazil, this has been one of the pillars of country’s foreign policy pillars since early in president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term in office.
In the document to be approved in Qatar, the participating countries declared their "conviction with the importance of South-South cooperation as an effective mechanism to promote capacity building and the exchange of experiences in relevant areas, such as development, innovation and fight against poverty."
According to diplomatic sources consulted by ANBA, the 2nd Aspa Summit should include massive presence of heads of state and government of the Middle East and North Africa, as it should begin on the same day as the Summit of the League of Arab States ends, also in Doha. From South America, at least 9 presidents, out of 12, are expected.
*Translated by Mark Ament
