In Bern, the capital of Switzerland, a panel titled "Stratcom Public Forum: A Fairer World is Possible" was organised by the Directorate of Communications of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye and the Turkish Embassy in Bern.
Türkiye's Ambassador to Bern Şebnem İncesu, Consul General of Zurich Fazlı Çorman, Consul General of Geneva İpek Zeytinoğlu Özkan, Head of the Swiss Turkish Society (ITT) Suat Şahin, Communications Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy in Bern Bayram Altuğ, international officials, academics, journalists, and other guests attended the panel.
The panel began with a video screening on the theme "A Fairer World is Possible," which emphasised the need for reform in international institutions, and proceeded with opening remarks.
The Presidency's Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun sent a video message to the panel.
Incesu, Türkiye's Ambassador to Bern, stated in her speech there that the world was changing, that there was a gloomy outlook for 2025 and beyond geopolitically, and that the latest report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on global risks pointed to deepening tensions.
Incesu emphasised that Türkiye's main foreign policy goal is "peace" and stressed that this stance has been maintained in line with Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's motto "peace at home, peace in the world."
Incesu stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pointed out that peace can be achieved with the argument, "A fairer world is possible."
"We are living in an unprecedented transformation process"
In a video message sent to the panel, Ambassador Burak Akçapar, Türkiye's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, stated that deep inequalities persist despite the remarkable progress in the world and said, "We are living in an unprecedented transformation process."
Emphasising that many regions are trapped in conflict, Akçapar said, "The current system does not correct global inequalities; rather, it exacerbates them."
Akçapar stated that the UN was established with a noble mission of fostering peace, security, and cooperation and has accomplished excellent work in many respects; however, it is essential to reform its system.
Stating that Türkiye stands with all those who seek a world order that is both equitable and fair, in which no one is left behind, Akçapar said:
"We cannot afford to continue with a system that disregards the majority of humanity. The notion that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council can represent the entire world is both outdated and unfair. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made it clear that the world is bigger than five. A fairer world is not an intangible ideal. It is a must. We can do better than this. We can achieve that. We have the capacity to establish it."
The panel highlights the need for reform at the UN
Following the opening speeches, a panel titled "A Fairer World is Possible" was held.
Speaking at the panel moderated by Gonca Oğuz Gök, a faculty member from Marmara University, Fazlı Çorman, Consul General in Zurich, stated that the reform discussions at the UN had been ongoing for many years and that he had witnessed some of them between 2007 and 2011 while working in New York.
Çorman said, "It is clear that reform must begin with the Security Council, the main body of the UN that addresses peace and security challenges. Global challenges to peace and security have recently revealed the Security Council's inadequacies in fulfilling its mandate. The permanent members of the UN Security Council have been criticised for prioritising their own interests over the crises in Syria, Ukraine, and Gaza rather than global peace and security. This perception of the permanent members of the UN Security Council's approach undermines the UN's credibility as a whole."
Noting that the UN Security Council has refrained from taking action on numerous urgent issues, Çorman stated that this exposes the Council's inadequacies and conveys the image that it is "dysfunctional".
Stating that this situation ran contrary to the founding principles of the UN and constituted a major obstacle to the joint efforts to build a peaceful world, Çorman went on to say,
"A pragmatic approach will be essential to advancing reform discussions, focusing constructively on negotiating the elements of rapprochement that can garner broader support. In order to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the UN this year with a clear conscience, members must focus on what is at stake for the common good of humanity during their negotiations for reform. Bridging the differences among negotiation groups is no easy task. Success can be achieved if all members realise that, as time passes, there is much to lose but even more to gain for a 'fairer world' if reforms are implemented."
Reforming the UN is not easy
Dina Abi Saad, a reporter at the UN Office in Geneva since 2014, said that numerous crises and wars took place around the world. She stressed the need for reform in the UN system but acknowledged that this would not be easy.
Saad noted that although it was not easy to achieve a just and peaceful world, all countries, especially those with regional influence such as Türkiye, must make an effort to this end. She added that these steps would also help the UN find solutions in countries facing crises.
Saad pointed out that it is unfair for decisions at the UN Security Council to be rejected solely by the five permanent members. She stated that numerous countries and people suffered from this approach.
"My family was killed just for being Palestinians"
Ahmad Alnaouq, a Gazan journalist and Human Rights Observer for the Geneva-based non-governmental organisation Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor (Euro-Med), said that, although he was a journalist and a human rights activist, he too was a victim of the international system.
Noting that he lost more than 20 family members in Gaza and survived because he was not there, Alnaouq stated that what Israel did in Gaza was "genocide" and that family members were killed in their homes.
Alnaouq said, "My father, my brothers, and my nephews—all of them were killed by a bomb. That bomb was made in the US, the UK and some European countries. They were killed simply because they were Palestinians."
Alnaouq indicated that dozens of resolutions against Israel were passed by the UN General Assembly but never implemented, criticising the UN's lack of sanctioning power.
Alnaouq said, "We were killed just for being Palestinians. We were killed because we were not European. We see an international divide in which some people are seen as more valuable than others."
Catherine Fiankan-Bokonga, the President of the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the United Nations Office at Geneva (ACANU), stated that the world is guided by the UN Security Council's five Permanent Members, but this situation must change.
Fiankan-Bokonga remarked that last year was also difficult for journalists, noting that there were efforts to prevent people from learning that countries such as Türkiye played important roles.
"Switzerland is no longer neutral"
Swiss journalist Philipp Gut stated that Switzerland lost its importance on the international stage and said, "Switzerland is no longer a neutral country."
Gut criticised the exclusion of Russia, a party to the war, from the Ukraine Peace Conference held in Switzerland in June of the previous year.
Gut said, "If you want to reach peace or a ceasefire, you have to talk to everyone. Even in a state of war, we need to talk. Switzerland is no longer outside this picture and is no longer neutral."
Reminding that Türkiye organised a conference in Istanbul after the start of the Russia-Ukraine War in February 2022 and invited both parties, Gut congratulated Türkiye for this initiative.
Gut underscored that Western, American, and Swiss diplomats obstructed the attainment of peace at the Istanbul conference and wanted the war to continue.
In addition, the 100th Anniversary of the Türkiye Photography Exhibition was also opened during the event.
The event concluded with the screening of a documentary about the life and achievements of painter Devrim Erbil.
