October 2022
Declaration: Suggestions for a new system of security and a peaceful settlement of the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine
Stephen Bronner
Valery Engel
Nina Potarska of the Women’s International for Peace and Freedom
Preamble
We are representatives of non-governmental, religious and political organizations from around the world. The Russo-Ukrainian conflict is threatening to where there will be no winner, we consider it important to state the following:
Security is the prerequisite for the sustainable development of any state and society. For almost 400 years, the security system was based on the Westphalian system of international relations. But the present war has triggered a full-scale crisis of this system and the type of international security it has provided.
The Westphalian system is predicated on the following:
- Rejection of the principle of historical substantiation of law and the monopoly right to historical truth, replacing it with the principle of evidence pluralism;
- the rejection of the principle of ideologization in politics, which in the 17th century meant the rejection of the confessional factor remaining the main one in international relations, and today it means the rejection of the imposition of any ideology as the main principle of international law;
- affirmation of priority and respect for national interests, which implies a consensus that the state has full power in its territory;
- approval of the priority of such principles of international politics as the balance of power, state sovereignty, equality of states and non-interference in each other's affairs, the obligation to comply with international treaties and comply with international law.
The process of abandoning the basic Westphalian principles that began after the end of the First World War, in the beginning. The 21st century has actually led to the fact that these principles remain only declarations and are not observed by participants in international relations both at the regional and global levels.
The justification by Russian leader Vladimir Putin of the reasons for the start of a military invasion of Ukraine with the thesis of the “fake nature” of Ukraine as a State, the need to change its ideology and Ukraine’s renunciation of part of its sovereignty testify to another attempt to return to international law the principles of ideological priorities, the historical justification of law, monopoly the right to truth and renunciation of respect for state sovereignty. However, an analysis of the policies of Western countries in recent decades also suggests that they did not always strive to strictly comply with Westphalian principles. The international processes of recent years have led to the dominance of numerous political, economic and military blocs in the world, which contributed to a significant limitation of the sovereignty of individual countries in various areas, but did not lead to a consensus on responsibility for non-compliance with international agreements . This, in turn, led to a War of Sanctions. Sanctions instruments, as a rule, are not effective in terms of achieving political goals, but they are very effective in squeezing economic competitors out of the markets by political means, which we have been seeing lately, both in Russia and in the countries of the anti-Russian bloc. At the same time, one of the main principles of the Westphalian system - absolute state sovereignty - to this day does not imply the existence of binding mechanisms for concluded international agreements.
New system of international security.
The above changes in the old system of international relations have led to new risks for international security, which increasingly requires a global approach. The global approach means that the effective security of an individual country or group of countries is possible only if effective international security guarantees are provided to all other countries in the region. The level of modern military technologies, as well as modern challenges related to terrorism, internal conflicts, climate problems, global epidemics, etc., no longer guarantee the former security of the members of the "nuclear club". But the renunciation of nuclear weapons, including those associated with guarantees from nuclear powers, does not guarantee a peaceful future, a vivid example of which is Ukraine.
We believe that today the world is facing a general crisis of confidence and security. This crisis may turn into a third world war, in which there will be no winner. Ukraine is only the first stage of an impending global conflict.
We believe that the world needs a new system of international security based on new approaches and a new system of guarantees, incl. guarantees under the concluded contracts.
We believe that the Westphalian system of international relations should be modernized in accordance with modern global challenges and priorities. This system should be supplemented by new principles, primarily such as:
- the priority of human rights, including the rights of minorities;
- immutability of borders and territorial integrity;
- the priority of global security over the interests of military blocs;
- non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
We believe that the new system of international security should be based on:
1) A more thoughtful system of international cooperation, providing for high quality communications and joint decision-making by subjects of international law.
2) A well-thought-out and diversified system of guarantees. The goal of this system should be to ensure the binding nature of international agreements. Sanction mechanisms can be used as a guarantee. It can be economic and political sanctions from the international community (global guarantees) and regional powers (regional guarantees). However, unlike what we see today, the list of such sanctions must be agreed in advance and diversified for each of the subjects of contractual relations. A universally recognized arbitrator is needed, in the form of an International organization (International court), which, under strictly defined conditions, could impose such sanctions. Such an organization should not be endowed with the right to arbitrarily impose sanctions, and its transformation into a political instrument of any country or group of countries should be excluded.
Peaceful settlement in Ukraine.
I. General situation.
The war in Ukraine takes place on 3 levels simultaneously:
1) At the global level - in the form of a new cold war between the collective West and the Russian Federation (and possibly China) regarding the right to determine the new world order and regarding the format of globalization.
2) At the regional level - in the form of a direct war between Russia and Ukraine regarding the right to determine the future of the post-Soviet space, and Eastern Europe.
3) At the local level - in the form of an old conflict between the divided parts of the post-Soviet Ukrainian society and the political and economic elites.
It is possible to end such a war only by acting simultaneously at all 3 levels and in a wide range of topics (from military issues to issues of culture and the rights of national and religious minorities). We need a "necklace" of synchronized negotiation formats (negotiation hubs) with the participation of the maximum number of actors that have an impact on the security crisis. These can be both global and regional or even local players.
Based on the foregoing, as well as the fact that the conflict in Ukraine is also part of the global conflict between Russia and the West, it is necessary to resume the negotiation process and expand the number of its participants. Considering that its goal is to establish lasting peace not only in Ukraine but also in Europe, participants must recognize that strategic stability is possible only on the basis of common security guarantees - for Ukraine, for the Russian Federation, the European Union, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and other countries. Only a global approach to this issue will make it possible to establish sustainable peace in the region and stop on the threshold of a new world war. Ukraine needs political, financial and military assistance, but even more it needs European diplomacy and the active participation of the EU in the negotiations (as well as the participation of the US, China and other countries).
A new global dialogue about cultural, spiritual and ethical values, the priorities of modern civilization is also extremely important. To this end, in parallel with the political settlement, we consider it important to start a “horizontal” ongoing dialogue between representatives of key social groups in Ukraine, the unrecognized territories, the Russian Federation and the EU, and interested countries. This will be a long process using the mechanisms of public diplomacy - between teachers, doctors, employees of communal structures, pensioners, leaders of organizations involved in the social protection of citizens in order to find new solidarity.
II. Principles of military-political settlement in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Based on the foregoing, we believe that it is necessary to bring the negotiation process to a new level as soon as possible with the involvement of all global and regional players in order to achieve an immediate de-escalation and a peaceful settlement. Every day of war is not only the suffering of people in Ukraine, it is also the growing risks of expanding the theater of operations in Europe, as well as the risks of the nuclearization of the conflict. The idea of the possibility of a military victory in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which has become predominant today, is extremely dangerous and can lead to new civilizational catastrophes for humanity.
We believe that the following principles underpinning the new negotiating process should lead to a sustainable peace:
1. Immediate internationalization of the negotiation process, its transfer under the auspices of the UN, the inclusion of representatives of France, Germany, the USA, Turkey, China and Israel.
2. De-escalation. Ensure military disengagement, taking into account the guarantee of protecting the rights and freedoms of people who were forced to cooperate with the Russian authorities in accordance with Art. 51, 55 of the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, as well as other humanitarian issues.
3. Humanitarian situation. It is necessary to immediately start negotiations on a humanitarian truce to evacuate the civilian population, provide assistance to the wounded, collect the bodies of the dead and search for the missing, exchange prisoners, etc. along the entire front line.
4. Ensuring a neutral and non-nuclear status of Ukraine in the presence of unconditionally effective military security guarantees from world powers, including not only NATO countries, but also China, as well as guarantees for Russia's non-interference in the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU.
5. Security guarantees for the Russian Federation and the EU, other countries.
6. Removal of all restrictions on economic, political and cultural cooperation in exchange for joint financing of the restoration of Ukraine. Establishment for this purpose of an international Board of Trustees for the Stabilization and Reconstruction of Ukraine.
The result of the negotiations should be the signing of a general multilateral agreement "On the settlement and strategic security" between the US, the EU, Ukraine and Russia, China and other countries, which includes military, political and economic guarantees, humanitarian aspects of mutual interest. This treaty could become the basis for the conclusion of a new comprehensive peace treaty on European security.
III. Modernization, continuation of reform and restoration of Ukraine
We believe that without modernization, reform and full restoration of Ukraine, it is impossible to guarantee lasting peace and settlements in the region. Therefore it is necessary:
1. To intensify the all-Ukrainian political dialogue on the future of Ukraine, continue the reform of decentralization, filling local self-government with real powers and resources, develop and implement programs for reintegration, support for public consensus and solidarity, providing for a broad liberalization of political life, the transfer of conflict issues of a social and humanitarian nature to the level of regions and local self-government; hold referendums.
2. Implement the Humanitarian Strategy for the Reunification of Ukraine, prepared by the scientific community, deputies of various levels, representatives of local councils, human rights activists, experts, and a wide range of youth.
3. Hold new elections to representative bodies of power throughout the country, ensure the rule of democracy and law in the political system of Ukraine in accordance with its Constitution.
4. Ensure co-financing and participation of Ukrainian entrepreneurs, different levels of political elites, the passionate part of society, regardless of the region of residence, in the infrastructural and economic restoration of Ukraine.
IV. The issue of Crimea and Donbass.
The issues of Crimea and Donbass are the most painful and fundamentally important for both Russia and Ukraine. They can become that "stumbling block" that will not make it possible in principle to achieve a peaceful settlement, especially in a foreseeable short period. At the same time, without resolving these issues, a final solution to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is impossible.
Proceeding from this, it is proposed to take this issue out of the scope of negotiations on paragraph II , but to agree on returning to it no later than a year after the signing of a comprehensive peace treaty on European security.
Also, based on the principles of international law and the territorial integrity of Ukraine, it is necessary to conceptually consider the possible mechanisms of temporary international or external management, condominiums, joint management, shared management, temporary lease, and others, examples of which are many in international law.
All these models should be accompanied by security guarantees, mechanisms for economic recovery and international control (arbitration). At the same time, these models do not mean a change in the current international legal status of any territories, but only a peaceful settlement in terms of the prevailing political context and international law.
We call on all participants in the conflict, all politicians, religious and public figures and simply people of good will who would like to prevent a third world war in which there will be no winner, to proceed from one single goal - an immediate cessation of bloodshed and the conclusion of a peace that would guarantee the existence of our civilization for many years.