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Right to development and national interest in the global context

International Patriotic Pact Organization – 2025 Forum United Nations, Geneva, Palais des Nations, 1 October 2025

Hans Köchler,* Austria

I

(24 October 2025) The General Assembly of the United Nations, in its resolution 41/128 of 4 December 1986, defined the right to development as an “inalienable human right” in the individual and collective sense. According to Paragraph 2 of Article 1 of the Declaration, this implies that all peoples enjoy the “inalienable right to full sovereignty over all their natural wealth and resources.”
Middle East 

“For an end to the spiral of hatred and violence”

(17 October 2025) The Secretary of State of the Holy See Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke to the Vatican media on the second anniversary of Hamas’ “shameful and inhuman” attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which led to the destruction of the Gaza Strip. He called for the release of hostages and an end to the violence.
Press release 8 October 2025

“Lay down your arms” Peace prize for 2025 is awarded Francesca Albanese

(17 October 2025) The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories is the person who, in accordance with Alfred Nobel’s will, has

“done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations and for the abolition or reduction of standing armies as well as for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.

Francesca Albanese has forcefully and unwaveringly worked against Israel’s full-scale war on the occupied Palestinian territories, in particular Israel´s ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.

The Nobel ‘Peace’ Committee awards US military regime change policies

by Jan Oberg,* Sweden

(17 October 2025) On October 10, 2025, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded its Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado. The citation praised her “tireless work promoting democratic rights.”

But Ms Machado has openly called for U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, stating on CBS:

“The only way to stop the suppression is by force—U.S. force.”
Switzerland

Early French – why it doesn’t work

by Marita Brune-Koch*

(17 October 2025) In most German-speaking cantons in Switzerland, pupils have been taught French in primary school for over twenty years. This has not been successful, as pupils are not learning enough. Some cantons have therefore decided to discontinue early French (Years 5 and 6) and only start teaching French in secondary school (Year 7).

How can peace ethics succeed?

The example of the CSCE process and Swiss neutrality

by René Roca*

(10 October 2025) Switzerland remained permanently neutral during the Cold War (1949–1991). This way, it helped to initiate reconciliation processes in many conflicts. Switzerland served not only its own country but also Europe and the world in terms of peace policy. At that time, Switzerland was a diplomatic great power.