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Peace, Democracy and Human Rights

Meeting of the Socialist International Committee on Peace, Democracy and Human Rights, Prague

16-17 October 2000

The Socialist International Committee on Peace, Democracy and Human Rights met in Prague on 16-17 October, hosted by the Czech Social Democratic Party, CSSD, and its leader Prime Minister Milos Zeman, Chair of the Committee.

At the opening, SI Secretary General Luis Ayala recalled how the International had over the years become a force for peace, democracy and human rights and how its work had become a point of reference in different parts of the world.

Speaking on the recent SI visit to the Middle East, Ayala said that the International had long been committed to the work for peace in that region. It was talking to its member parties there and it hoped the violence would finish and the process of peace would be resumed.

Prime Minister Zeman commented, "It is necessary to act. It is necessary to draw up a black list of areas round the world where there are no human rights and where there is no democracy at all. But this is our white list, the list of places where we have the opportunity of helping". Quoting Michel de Montaigne, Zeman said one should be wary of thinking that evil would automatically be substituted by good. He went on to warn against the tactics of blockading an undemocratic regime but advocated a "policy of communication".

The Committee went on to discuss the themes 'International Security: Global and Regional Perspectives'; 'The Nature of Conflict in a Changing World: Developing New Approaches for Securing Peace, Strengthening Democracy and Protecting Human Rights' and 'Enhancing the Principal Role of the United Nations: Deepening Cooperation and Advancing Reform'. Steve Lee, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Foreign Policy Development; Thomas Hammarberg, of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, SAP; and Jan Kavan, Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic introduced the three themes respectively.

The Committee agreed to hold a number of sessions in the forthcoming period to further its consideration on these subjects, one focusing on the issue of conflicts - their prevention and resolution, another on the advancement and protection of human rights, and one centred on the United Nations - its role and work and proposals for reform.

It was also agreed at this meeting to propose the sending of SI missions where relevant to the Committee's activities and necessary to the issues related to the work of the Committee. It will present progress reports to the Council when needed and will work on a set of conclusions to be given at the SI Congress at the end of 2002.

The Committee is planning to meet at the OAU headquarters in Addis Ababa for its session focusing on conflict, at the United Nations Geneva in relation to its work on human rights and a the UN headquarters in New York for its meeting on the United Nations.

List of participants


LIST OF PARTICIPANTS



Chair of the Committee
Milos Zeman
(Czech Republic, CSSD)



Secretary General of the SI
Luis Ayala



ALBANIA
Socialist Party of Albania, SPA
Arta Dade



ANDORRA
Social Democratic Party, PS
Marc Vila Amigó



AUSTRIA
Social Democratic Party of Austria, SPÖ
Inge Jäger



CZECH REPUBLIC
Czech Social Democratic Party, CSSD
Jan Kavan
Vladimir Müller
Jan Hamacek



FINLAND
Finnish Social Democratic Party, SDP
Pertti Paasio




HUNGARY
Hungarian Socialist Party, MSzP
Csaba Tabajdi




IRAN
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, PDKI
Khosrow Abdollahi
Khosrow Bahrami




MEXICO
Party of Democratic Revolution, PRD
Rosa Márquez



MOROCCO
Socialist Union of Popular Forces, USFP
Abdelaziz Nouayadi




NORWAY
Norwegian Labour Party, DNA
Marit Nybakk




POLAND
Democratic Left Alliance, SLD
Joanna Brzozowska




SLOVAKIA
Party of the Democratic Left, SDL
Edward Chmelar




SPAIN
Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, PSOE
Leire Pajín
María Irigoyen




SWEDEN
Swedish Social Democratic Party, SAP
Thomas Hammarberg
Lisa Pelling




TUNISIA
Constitutional Democratic Assembly, RCD
Hachmi Amri




Parliamentary Group of the PES
Maria Berger



SI Secretariat
Latifa Perry




Guests:

Canadian Centre for Foreign Policy Development
Steve Lee

 



Other activities

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