This is a summary of the presentation of Dr. Giuseppe Cali, Consultant on Research and Education, UPF Europe and Middle East, in the webinar entitled "Re-imagining the United Nations for a New Era of Peace" organised by the International Association of Academicians for Peace (IAAP) Europe and Middle East (EUME) on 28 July 2026.
1. The United Nations: Humanity’s Highest Political Achievement
Dr. Giuseppe Cali begins by describing the United Nations as perhaps the highest expression of humanity’s political consciousness: a historic transition from centuries of territorial conquest and rivalry toward multilateral cooperation and the pursuit of the international common good.
Created in 1945 after the devastation of the Second World War and the threat of nuclear conflict, the UN was founded on four fundamental purposes: maintaining international peace and security; developing friendly relations among nations based on equal rights and self-determination; promoting international cooperation in addressing economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems; and advancing human rights. These objectives remain essential, even though they have only been partially fulfilled.
The world of 2026, however, is radically different from that of 1945. The UN has grown from around 50 founding members to 193 states, while globalization has created a profoundly interconnected world facing borderless challenges: economic inequality, climate and environmental degradation, pandemics, war, resource competition and information distortion. Global problems increasingly require global solutions.
2. Why UN Reform Has Become Necessary
Cali distinguishes between administrative reforms, which have often succeeded, and structural reforms, which have largely failed. Institutional reforms such as the creation of the Human Rights Council and Peacebuilding Commission have demonstrated that the UN can adapt administratively. Yet fundamental changes to its architecture have remained extraordinarily difficult.
The central obstacle is the unresolved question of the Security Council and veto power. Three principal positions compete:
- The G4 — Germany, Japan, India and Brazil — seek permanent representation and veto rights.
- The African Union seeks permanent African representation, including veto rights.
- The United for Consensus (“Coffee Club”), including Italy and other states, advocates eliminating the veto altogether in favor of a more democratic Security Council.
These competing visions, together with national interests, regional rivalries and divisions among states, have repeatedly blocked structural reform.
Cali argues that the result is an institutional “ceiling”: the UN possesses extraordinary potential, but its present structure increasingly prevents it from responding effectively to global crises. The survival and relevance of the UN therefore depend not simply on adjusting its architecture, but on developing a shared commitment to genuine global governance.
3. The Founders’ Proposal for a Renewed United Nations
Cali then presents the vision of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who in 2000 called for a profound renewal of the UN. His proposal was based on the recognition that political institutions alone cannot create lasting peace: peace requires ethical principles, reconciliation among peoples and the participation of humanity’s spiritual and moral traditions.
Three major proposals were advanced:
A. A Bicameral United Nations
The first proposal was to establish an Interreligious Council as a second chamber of the UN, complementing the existing Chamber of States.
The existing UN represents sovereign nations according to the principle of one state, one vote. The proposed second chamber would represent the moral, spiritual, cultural and educational wisdom of humanity. It would include religious leaders as well as educators, scientists and other figures whose perspectives transcend national boundaries.
This body would not replace national governments but would provide an essential ethical and human dimension to global governance. Cali describes it as an international parliament representing the world's peoples, cultures and religions, with meaningful legislative, budgetary and oversight responsibilities.
B. UN Peace Zones
The second proposal was to establish peace zones in areas affected by international or border conflicts. Rather than simply separating opposing populations, these zones would become laboratories of reconciliation and cooperation.
Joint environmental projects, peace parks, cultural exchanges, sports, artistic activities and sustainable economic ventures could enable people from opposing sides to work together and develop mutual trust. As Cali emphasizes, peace cannot be secured by treaties alone; it must be cultivated through shared experiences and cooperation.
C. The Family as the Foundation of Peace
The third proposal was the establishment of an international Parents’ Day, recognizing the family as the fundamental school of universal values.
Stable societies depend upon families transmitting values across generations. Schools, communities and institutions should therefore reinforce this ethical foundation. In this vision, education becomes central to peacebuilding.
The proposal gained strong support from Philippine House Speaker José de Venecia and received endorsements from numerous governments. Between 2003 and 2006, several resolutions were introduced supporting the concept of interfaith cooperation within the United Nations. Yet despite this momentum, meaningful structural reform remained elusive.
This led to a crucial strategic conclusion: the UN could not be transformed from within alone. A new model of peacebuilding was needed outside the UN that could demonstrate the principles of renewed global governance in practice.
4. UPF: Building a Model of Global Cooperation
This was the context for the creation of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) in 2005. UPF was not conceived as an alternative to the UN, but as a partner and model, demonstrating new approaches to peacebuilding and helping prepare the foundations for future global governance.
Its central approach is proactive rather than merely reactive: rather than continually responding to crises, UPF seeks to establish new relationships, standards and forms of cooperation. Its global network of Ambassadors for Peace brings together political, religious, academic, educational and civic leaders who can act across national, racial and religious boundaries.
Cali identifies three major dimensions of this work:
- Universal values and ethics — establishing a moral foundation for society.
- Economic interdependence and mutual prosperity — addressing global inequality and ensuring that economic systems serve human dignity.
- Political cooperation — moving from systems based primarily on rivalry and national interest toward mutual prosperity and shared responsibility.
5. From International Cooperation to a Civilization of Interdependence
Cali’s broader thesis is that humanity must now move beyond the stage represented by the UN's original model of international cooperation toward a new stage of civilizational interdependence.
Human civilization can be understood as moving from survival, to competition, to cooperation, and now toward interdependence. Globalization has made humanity a single planetary community: no nation can isolate itself from climate change, economic instability, pandemics, technological disruption or war.
This requires redefining peace. Peace is not simply the absence of war or the temporary separation of conflicting parties. It is dynamic harmony among peoples, cultures, economies and nature, sustained by justice, mutual trust and shared responsibility. The goal should therefore be to transform conflict into cooperation and ultimately into relationships in which former adversaries can live and prosper together.
6. Education and the Emergence of Global Citizens
For Cali, the deepest transformation must take place in human consciousness. The UN should evolve from an institution primarily concerned with preventing war into an institution helping humanity develop the consciousness required to live together as one human family.
Education is therefore the primary engine of transformation. It should encompass moral and spiritual education, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, environmental and physical education, and civic education for global citizenship.
The objective is not simply to educate young people but also to renew political leaders, economists, scientists and other decision-makers. Humanity needs leaders who have peace “in their heart and mind” and possess the knowledge and skills required to build it.
Conclusion: Toward a Second Charter and Global Democracy
Cali concludes that the world cannot govern the 21st century with institutions designed for the realities of 1945. Humanity needs an evolution rather than a revolution: a transition from conflict and competition toward cooperation, shared prosperity and universal responsibility.
He therefore advocates serious consideration of a renewed or “second” UN Charter, capable of adapting the UN to today's global realities and creating a more authoritative form of global democracy. Yet institutional reform alone will not be sufficient. The deeper task is cultural and educational: to develop a new generation of global citizens capable of recognizing that humanity's interdependence makes universal brotherhood not merely a spiritual aspiration but a logical necessity.
The ultimate goal is to transform the UN and other global institutions from arenas where national interests compete into a common home of the human family. UPF's contribution is to help cultivate this transformation through universal values, education, interfaith cooperation, economic interdependence, mutual prosperity and the practical work of Ambassadors for Peace.
Cali's final call is therefore for people at every level of society to take responsibility for building a world based on peace, brotherhood, cooperation and shared prosperity
Dr Giuseppe Cali holds a doctoral degree in Political Science and International Relationships and is a researcher in the field of future global governance. He has been involved with UPF since its inauguration in New York in 2005, following which he immediately established a chapter in Italy, of which he was the president for several years. He also contributed to the birth of UPF in the Balkans. Prior to this, he was actively involved in CAUSA (Confederation for the Association and the Unity of the Societies of the Americas). He is currently supporting UPF in the areas of both research and education.