SCHMIDT COULD FACE PROSECUTION

BELGRADE, MAY 15 /SRNA/ – Candidate for United Nations Secretary-General Pino Arlacchi told SRNA that there is a possibility that Christian Schmidt could face prosecution for alleged financial abuse of office if sufficient evidence is gathered, but also stressed that the real question is why there is still a high representative in the Balkans.

"There is no need for that anymore. This is a reflection of the old unipolar world. The Balkan countries should reject the continuation of this procedure because it is insulting. Why does a country need supervision in the name of the UN? It is not sustainable, it is not right, and it is not good," said Arlacchi, who is a sociologist.

He pointed out that this is also not in accordance with international law.

"We have stable countries. Why do they need a supervisor? Because of the war and conflict that happened 30 years ago? It is simply incomprehensible," Arlacchi said. He is also one of the authors of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.

He assessed that the United Nations is currently at the lowest point in its history.

"No one cares about the UN anymore. It has become completely marginalized in all international crises. There are three international crises - Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran. The UN has not demonstrated any important position, project, plan, or idea regarding these crises, although it should have, because that is the UN’s main mandate. If the UN is absent from crises, then what is the purpose of the UN?" Arlacchi asked.

He said that, if elected Secretary-General of the UN, he plans to introduce major reforms within the organisation in order to make it useful again for the global system.

"My project is simple - to make the General Assembly a body with full powers, to abolish the Security Council and the veto right, and instead of the Security Council, establish a peace council that would be directly elected by the General Assembly," Arlacchi stated.

He says that the newly formed peace council would play a very important role in all international crises, with a very strong mandate from the General Assembly.

Regarding the self-declared Kosovo, which he had previously dealt with extensively and described as a "mafia state," Arlacchi said he does not possess enough recent information and has not dealt with the issue for several years.

"It is common for states run by the mafia not to change overnight, unless something truly significant has happened in Kosovo. The recent history of Kosovo is a history of crime and connections with politics," Arlacchi pointed out.

Arlacchi is visiting Serbia on the occasion of the International Scientific Conference "International Criminal Law with Reference to Environmental Protection," being held on Tara Mountain and organised by the International Criminal Law Association.