TO BECOME THE MASTERS OF YOUR OWN FATE

The global economic crisis, the impact on the politics of the world's leading countries, the problems of international relations, with the contradictions between the most powerful states in the world, which are becoming even more aggravated owing to the events occurring in Ukraine - all this is, in the view of analysts, bringing about a new world order. Many of the states are now faced with the dilemma of what they should do in circumstances when the customary norms of international conduct have ceased to be effective, since they have come up against the challenges of the modern world, which have come as a surprise to many.

In these circumstances, the need arises to activate various conference formats with the participation of top-level international experts, who take a professional view of global problems. In this respect, discussion formats involving the former leaders of states from all over the world are particularly valuable. In this case, having an "ex-" before your name is something positive, since former leaders are no longer restricted by diplomatic protocols and are free to express their thoughts. On the other hand, their view is of great interest as the opinion of politicians who have amassed a wealth of experience as the rulers of a state and someone who has been actively involved in this process.

The Global Forum of open societies, the second session of which took place last week in Baku, may be considered as one of these formats. The Nizami Ganjavi [Gancavi] International Centre and the Madrid Club participated in organising it, as well as Azerbaijan's State Committee for Work with the Diaspora, as part of co-operation with the UN, the World Academy of Science and Arts, the Roma Club, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and other organisations. Taking into account the packed nature of the global agenda, the forum dwelt on the stable development of the world in 2015 and the subsequent period.

Former heads of state and government from 30 countries, altogether as many as 200 influential political and public figures, experts and scholars, attended this two-day-long representative international event. They all came together in Baku to try to predict what mankind will still have to deal with after 2015. The forum's agenda included issues relating to conflict settlement, the economic bases of open societies, the need for multi-management and institutional frameworks to ensure the continuity of the development process among others.

Particular attention was paid to such issues as internal economic growth policy, creating equal conditions for receiving education, the role of women in society's processes, the importance of natural resources and global restrictions in attaining stable development, promoting a united front in implementing clean technologies and green energy, and so forth.

In spite of the variety of theses issues, one condition is extremely important in resolving them, and this was mentioned by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in his speech.

 "We need to be the masters of our own fate and get even more powerful," Ilham Aliyev said, when opening the forum.

The head of state noted the need to consolidate society around the main priorities. In the case of Azerbaijan, this means freeing its lands from occupation, further boosting its independence and creating the best living conditions it can for its people. The president said that, that, if society mobilises around the main goals, it will not fall apart. "We need to discuss the shortcomings. But the most important thing is that our society should be united," the head of state stressed.

Being the masters of their own fate is the dilemma facing many states in the world and is the main reason for many global problems. Ensuring the opportunity to independently determine your own future is the key to tackling the problems in today's world, in which, as President Aliyev noted, power is again occupying the main place on the agenda in international relations.

Being independent, in control of pursuing your own policy and sufficiently powerful to resort to other methods when need be, would appear to be possible. There can be no doubt that this circumstance explains the decision to hold the Global Forum of open societies in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku. Today, when global cataclysms and unrest are occurring all around and countries are forfeiting their sovereignty, either voluntarily or under the threat of force, Azerbaijan is providing a model of stability, independence and unprecedented economic growth.

In one of his recent interviews, the well-known American political scientist, former special adviser [on Soviet Nationality Issues and Baltic Affairs] to the US Secretary of State [James Baker], Paul Goble, repeated an interesting sentence which came from Ilham Aliyev during a meeting with him: "You first need to become a state in order to become a democratic state." These words, precise as never before, reflect the essence of the problems, which many states are faced with today. What's the point of democracy, if it means forfeiting sovereignty? And is it really democracy in that case? What point is there in having the attributes of a state, if the fate of your state is actually being decided by another?

In supporting the united position of some other countries, Azerbaijan has already consented to making a contribution to the content of the development priorities after 2015. In this document, the aims are clearly set out, which, according to the co-chairman of the Nizami Ganjavi International Centre and director of Egypt's Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Ismail Serageldin, can be included in the new Millennium Development Goals.

Working up these new aims is a necessity. The former guidelines are already out-of-date, so the countries of the world need new ones, taking into account the global changes in the life of the international community. When addressing the forum, the ex-president of Latvia, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, acknowledged that the UN Millennium Development Programme, adopted 14 years ago to tackle global challenges, was no longer fit for purpose: "We should apply a joint effort in order to avert a policy of bloodshed in the world. When we adopted the UN Millennium Development Programme in 2000, we did not believe that such events would occur."

Discussion was particularly lively with regard to the latest events surrounding Ukraine. These events have demonstrated that the countries of the world are extremely vulnerable not only when faced by problems of a global nature like the crisis in the world financial system, but even with regard to problems of preserving one's own statehood and sovereignty. In the course of the forum, former Ukrainian president, Viktor Yushchenko, appealed to the progressive world community to elaborate a single policy with regard to blatant acts of aggression like those which his country is having to tackle today. According to the former Ukrainian leader, it is precisely owing to the lack of a joint response to such acts and the general connivance in them, that 20 per cent of Azerbaijan's and Georgia's territories are occupied, 30 per cent of Moldova's and a quarter of Ukraine.

The former Ukrainian leader voiced what Azerbaijan is aware of not just from hearsay: the crisis in international law is leading to its norms beginning to work in favour of those who are the powerful. Now there is an increasing understanding in the world of what Azerbaijan has been saying for more than two decades.

This is why measures like those similar to those being addressed by the Global Forum are so important. The fact is that the customary discussion formats for resolving such global problems as security and stable development are probably experiencing the greatest crisis in their history. First and foremost, of course, we are talking about the United Nations. This organisation is not coping with its functions of guaranteeing global security and development. Over the last few years, the UN has produced a whole heap of resolutions and similar written decisions, with regard to Nagornyy Karabakh too, but most of them have remained on paper. It is the right of the powerful that is effective here too. The events in North Africa, the Middle East and what is happening in Ukraine today demonstrate that the most powerful states in the world prefer to act without heeding the opinion of the majority, and in accordance with their own interests. The norms and principles of international law have either become a subject for the leading powers' own interpretation or are completely ignored by them. All this engenders in the remainder of the community a feeling of uncertainty and a fear for their own fate. In the opinion of the former president of Latvia, new conflict situations are likely to arise: "We cannot be certain that in 15 years' time the situation in the world will be any better than it is today. We need to do everything we can to ensure that human rights are observed on a global scale."

Naturally, ways of solving all the challenges to modern society could not be found in two days of discussions. Taking this into account, Azerbaijan has expressed its willingness to organise global forums of open societies every year and thereby make this event a tradition.