report 5 - preface
This report summarizes the panel discussion on Conversion and Social Development, which was organized by the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) as one of the special events at the United Nations' World Summit for Social Development, held 6-12 March 1995 in Copenhagen. Together, the panel and audience considered the contributions military conversion could make to social development, and covered several principal issues: the reallocation of financial resources from military to civilian use; the reorientation of science for social development; and the national and human security aspects of conversion.
This report includes an updated version of a background paper prepared by BICC for the meeting (BICC paper 1). In addition, it contains key excerpts from the presentations made by panel members and incorporates the conclusions of the panel discussion.
Peace and development . . .
"We know that most of the armed conflicts with which the United Nations now have to deal are being waged within nations and that the majority have obvious economic and social causes, once again demonstrating the indissoluble link that exists between the promotion of development and the preservation of peace. I should like to seize this opportunity to remind you here of the importance I attach, in this context, to the need for democracy. Democracy is, as it were, the missing link between peace and development: it is a guarantee of peace and no lasting social development is conceivable without it."
UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali at the opening of the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, 6 March 1995.
Demilitarization and security . . .
"Just as demilitarized zones may serve the cause of preventive diplomacy and preventive deployment to avoid conflict, so may demilitarization assist in keeping the peace or in post-conflict peace-building, as a measure for heightening the sense of security and encouraging the parties to turn their energies to the work of peaceful restoration of their societies."
UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 1992, An Agenda for Peace, p. 33.
The panel consisted of the following members:
- Chair: Minister Anke Brunn, Minister for Higher Education and Research, Government of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; chairperson of BICC´s International Board
- Dr. Oscar Arias, former President of Costa Rica, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
- Dr. Lutz Bähr, United Nations
- Prof. Essam El-Din Galal, University of Cairo
- Dr. Vladimir Kryuchenkov, Acting Director, International Science and Technology Center, Moscow
- General Olusegun Obasanjo,* former Head of State of Nigeria
- Prof. Thomas Odhiambo, Director, Randforum, Nairobi
- Dr. Herbert Wulf, Director, BICC
*General Olusegun Obasanjo Detained by Military Regime
Upon his return to Nigeria after attending the Social Summit, General Olusegun Obasanjo was arrested by the military regime. On 22 March, he was released but placed under house arrest and not allowed to have any outside communication. On 13 June, he was picked up from his home and taken to an undisclosed location. As this report went to print, it became known that he had gone on trial before a Special Military Tribunal in connection with an alleged coup attempt in March 1995. Since his inital detention, no public charges have been filed against him. According to Amnesty International, it is widely believed that the coup plot was fabricated to justify the detention and possible execution of certain government critics, particularly those within the armed forces. BICC immediately protested against his detention and along with several eminent persons from many countries demands his immediate release.
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