Multilateralism / Conference Report
The role of multilateralism in contemporary international relations
13/02/2003 By Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Publicaciones FRIDE
Fernando Henrique Cardoso started his talk regretting that as a consequence of the September 11 attacks, concerns over security had replaced “peace and wellbeing of peoples” as the main priority. The former President of Brazil discussed how this current situation of crisis could be transformed into an opportunity to improve the models of coexistence of international society, even though he did not deny the relevance of security.
The President of the Club of Madrid recalled how the Government of Brazil condemned the September 11 attacks and admitted the U.S. right to self-defense, but at the same time stressed the need for any reaction to abide by international law. Thus, Cardoso, President of Brazil at the time, defended the central role of the UN and specially its Security Council, and rescued the Interamerican Treaty of Mutual Assistance of 1947 from oblivion, as a still valid legal instrument to respond to crises through regional cooperation. Despite his admitting the lack of practical results from his initiative, he did not considered it a wasted effort.
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Keywords
Brazil Civil society European Union Latin America & Caribbean Multilateralism Peace UN USBio author: Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of the Federal Republic of Brazil (January 1995 - January 2003), is President of the Club of Madrid, an organization whose main objective is to contribute to the strengthening of democracy all over the world. Bachelor in Social Sciences and PhD in Sociology at the University of São Paulo.
Bio author: Publicaciones FRIDE
'Publicaciones FRIDE' is the byline used whenever a publication doesn't have a specific author.
