IPPO Geneva, March 23 (Reporter Li Shihui) —The 2026 United Nations Spring Forum of the International Patriotic Pact Organization (IPPO) was grandly held on April 1 in Conference Room 5 at the United Nations Office in Geneva. This forum was chaired by Professor Hans Köchler, co-founder of the International Patriotic Pact Organization and founder and chairman of the Austrian International Progress Organization, who also delivered a keynote speech.

In his speech titled "The International Patriotic Pact and Nation’s Rights to Development: Shaping a New International Order," Professor Köchler pointed out that since last year's forum, global peace and development have faced severe challenges. He severely criticized certain Western powers for blatantly placing their national interests above international law, resulting in a lack of international rule of law and even a resurgence of the "law of the jungle."

During the speech, Professor Köchler specifically mentioned the situation in Venezuela at the beginning of the year and the subsequent Middle East conflicts. He noted that major powers and their regional allies bypassed the United Nations Security Council and took unilateral military actions, even leading to the tragic deaths of Iranian leaders and their family members, which fully exposed the fragility of the current international order. He emphasized that such "aggressive wars" not only undermine international law but also directly threaten the survival and development of people in all countries.

Professor Köchler cited data from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to warn that the spillover effects of the Middle East conflicts have disrupted global energy and fertilizer supplies, severely impacting the economies of countries in the Global South. If the conflicts continue, it is estimated that more than 45 million people will face severe hunger. He stressed, "War is incompatible with the right to development; war renders development meaningless."

In the core part of his speech, Professor Köchler delved into the dialectical relationship between the "right to development" and the "right to peace." He pointed out that peace is a necessary condition for development, while development is the cornerstone of lasting peace. The two are interdependent and indispensable.

He quoted the 1986 United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development and the Vienna Declaration, stating that systemic poverty and underdevelopment are the root causes of conflicts, and wars destroy the infrastructure for development. Professor Köchler specifically mentioned that the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights lists the right to development and the right to peace as legally binding rights and called on the international community to recognize this normative connection.

In response to the current international situation, Professor Köchler defined the role of the International Patriotic Pact Organization (IPPO) in his speech. He criticized certain major powers for engaging in unilateral actions under the guise of "patriotism," which are in fact "national chauvinism" and "imperialism."

He emphasized that true patriotism must be built on the foundation of equal coexistence among nations. The mission of IPPO is to expose the instrumentalization of patriotism and advocate for a new international order based on mutual respect for sovereignty, common interests, and global cooperation. He called on global civil society and countries not to remain silent in the face of hegemony but to jointly resist unilateral actions that could lead to global anarchy.

This forum attracted scholars and representatives of non-governmental organizations from multiple countries. Participants generally believed that against the backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions, exploring the topics of the "International Patriotic Pact" and "nation’s rights to development" holds significant practical importance.