LIBYA PROPOSES TURNING GENERAL ASSEMBLY INTO WORLD PARLIAMENT

29 September - Libya has proposed strengthening the General Assembly to function as the world's premier legislative body, enacting binding resolutions that would be implemented by the a widened Security Council.

“The United Nations is at a crossroads; and it should be reformed to become equally united form all States,” said Musa Kousa, the head of the Libyan delegation, in his statement to the Assembly's high-level debate yesterday.

“The reform, which we are calling for and aiming to achieve, is to make the General Assembly the real legislator,” he added.

To address the current situation where some States have permanent membership of the Security Council while others do not, Mr Kousa suggested granting permanent membership to regional organizations instead of individual countries.

“Thus, we will ensure the representation of all people on earth, and the anti-democratic and frustrating veto [power] shall not be the exclusive privilege of the few,” Mr. Kousa said.

He called for the investigation into the invasion of Iraq, which he said resulted in “mass killings, and the execution of prisoners of war, including the head of State.”

Mr. Kousa also urged a review of the international convention prohibiting the production, use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines, saying it failed to take into account the interests of small States, the victims of the weapons.

“The legislators of this convention should have made the States concerned [countries that produce and use them] committed to compensate those affected by mines planted in their lands and provide legal and political assurances for the protection of small States due to the lack of possession of neither defensive nor offensive weapons,” Mr. Kousa said.

He announced that Libya will early next month host an African-Arab summit in a bid to enhance cooperation. Another summit bringing together African States and those belonging to the European Union will follow in November.