Page 69 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

Bringing the Concept to Life

cornerstone of which is the unique multilateral treaty: the United Nations
Charter. Indeed, multilateral diplomacy is gradually becoming the major tool
of international interaction. A convincing example of its importance is the role
played today by the UN Security Council. For example, as you are well aware,
the future of Kuwait was determined not in Washington, London, Moscow,
Paris or Tokyo, but in New York, at a meeting of the United Nations Security
Council.

13. It is worth mentioning that the Security Council - the main decision-
making body in the field of maintaining international peace and 5ecurity - is
now working on the basis of consensus and demonstrates an unprecedented
degree of unity among its members. Even the veto of the permanent members
of the Security Council has acquired a new meaning. For decades it had a
negative impact, blocking the work of the Organization; today it plays a
positive role as a powerful stimulus for compromise. The Council members are
very cautious in trying not to provoke others to apply the veto, so that the
existing balance is preserved.

14. The rise of multilateralism in the contemporary interdependent world
is quite a natural process: only through multilateralism can we hope to find the
solution to the numerous global problems which humankind is now facing; and
only through multilateralism can we safeguard the fragile processes of change
and guide them safely into stable, enduring directions. Multilateralism does not
mean that States should necessarily act all together. Within multilateral
structures there is enough room for unilateral as well as bilateral action or
initiative. A well-known Russian conductor, Evgeniy Mravinsky, once said: "It
is keeping up with the general tempo and not slowing it which will preserve the
orchestra". This idea seems to be applicable to international politics as well. It is
satisfying that the majority of States have already realized the importance of
multilateralism in full.

15. The contemporary system of multilateral interactions consists of four
major layers. At the top is the United Nations, the world's only universal
international organization, with its system of 17 specialized agencies, as well as
numerous organs and programmes. The UN itself - from the point of view of its
role in international politics - is a very special place. This Organization is often
called a microcosm of the world. The UN is involved in a wide range of
activities in political, economic and social fields and its role in promoting
international peace and security is universally recognized. One could say that,
in our turbulent times, the UN is the linchpin that folds the world together.

47