Innlegg på konferansen til IPU Assembly Bern 2011, om det dramatiske behovet for å reorganisere verden! (IPU = Inter-parlamentary Union)

As a newcomer at an IPU conference, and as a left-wing politician, I had my doubts before reading these two papers. I expected both a lack of a clear and honest situation analysis, and the absence of clear ambitions for necessary changes in the global power structure.

My preconceptions were not met, fortunately. Quite the opposite, this afternoon we are debating two papers that clearly underline that, quoting from Mr O Benabdallah’s paper , «the world must be re-arranged, re-organized or re-modelled.»
Let me therefore thank the two rapporteurs for their work so far. I think the two draft reports are a good point of departure for our discussions as they raise many important items. And for the sake of simplicity I hope it will be possible to merge the two prior to the session in Uganda next year.]

I’d like to make some brief remarks related to the report by Mr Judd from Great Britain. He aptly describes many of the challenges we are facing, such as the fact that global power is shifting from the West to the East, and that a more multi-polar world is emerging.

As a left-wing politician I also support his views about the importance of reforming institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Let me here briefly add that the Norwegian Government for many years has been a significant contributor to the World Bank. However, many Norwegians have been skeptical about the Bank’s focus on privatizations in developing countries. This was the reason why our Government a few years ago introduced a condition on our support: Norwegian support will no longer go to loan facilities that require privatization in developing countries.

In his report I think Mr Judd sets the right tone when it comes to the necessity of reforming the Security Council of the United Nations. I agree with him in when he says that the Security Council does not meet the realities of our age. However, I would invite him to be bolder and more concrete on this issue.

Myself I am a firm supporter of a comprehensive Security Council reform. It is an essential component of the overall United Nations reform, and progress is needed to strengthen the credibility and legitimacy of the whole organization.

I think , however, the report should be more explicit when it comes to reforming the Security Council. To be frank, it is nothing but absurd that countries like France and the United Kingdom have veto power while countries like India – a country of more than a billion inhabitans – does not even have a seat there! It is pretty obvious that the Security Council is doomed to become irrelevant if its composition is not radically changed. And the old veto power countries have to realize this, and be willing to create space for new members.

I think the report should be clearer in this matter, and I hope the rapporteur takes this into consideration.

Once again, thank you for two ambitious papers, which go to the core of the IPU’s pupose, real democracy!

Thank you.

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