Nobel Peace Laureates should participate in debate about UN and global reform: Annan

The Nobel Peace Prize laureates have a role to play in the current debate about reform to the United Nations and the international system, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today.

In a message to the Fourth World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, held in Rome, Mr. Annan said he hoped they would “always see the UN as a valuable ally in the global struggle for development, human rights and peace.”

The Secretary-General – whose message to the Forum was delivered by Shalini Dewan, Director of the UN Information Centre – pointed out he has recently set up a high-level panel on threats and challenges to international security after a year when events “have shaken the foundations of collective security.”

He said the Panel would recommend “clear and practical measures for ensuring effective collective action” and urged the Laureates to play their part in shaping the ultimate decisions that emerge from the debate surrounding the global system.