Divulgamos posição conjunta de várias organizações da Europa pertencentes ao Conselho Mundial da Paz.
On the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union
In reaction to the announcement of the award of the Nobel Peace prize to the European Union, the World Peace Council member organizations, cannot fail to recall:
- That during the past decades the European Union has led a process of militarisation, sped up since 1999, after having played a crucial role in the violent breakup of Yugoslavia and, later on, in the brutal military aggression against this country, culminating in a process of secession of the Serbian Province of Kosovo in defiance of international law;
- That since the NATO Summit held in Washington, in 1999, the European Union has been given the role of the European pillar of this political-military bloc led by the USA. A role that since then has been asserting itself and strengthening, namely since 2002 and with the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty. It should be remembered that 21 European Union countries are NATO members;
- That over the past decades, the European Union has led and supported all military aggressions by NATO and/or its members against the sovereignty and national independence of various States, like Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and now Syria, as well as violent regimes of sanctions that hit hard the peoples of several countries;
- That the European Union has taken stands and actions that go against the principles set down in the United Nations Charter of respect for the sovereignty of the States and non-intervention in their internal affairs, and on the contrary, promote an increasing and relentless militarisation of international relations, being complaisant with the violation of human rights as was the case, for example, of the so-called «CIA flights» - their criminous kidnappings and acts of torture.
In this context, the our organizations consider, to say the least, questionable the award of the Nobel Peace prize to the European Union (EU) for its contribution to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe, as stated by the Norwegian Nobel Committee when it announced the prize.
Much more so, at a time when in the European Union we have the growth of a number of situations and developments that have resulted in an increase of inequalities and social injustice and of relations among States based on economic, and even, political domination by some States over others a reality far from the proclaimed fraternity among nations or the congress of peace that Alfred Nobel spoke about as a criterion for the Nobel Peace Prize in his 1895 will.
The European Union is far from accomplishing the so-called mission of propagating peace, democracy, human rights in the rest of the world that some claim to attribute, quite the contrary, the European Union behaves as an imperialist force.
Peace in Europe was a victory of the peoples following World War II, in which weighed the aspiration for peace of millions of citizens, many of them activists from the strong and broad movement for peace that began and developed after 1945.
The reality and purposes enounced by the European Union are far removed from the values and principles proclaimed and established by the historic Helsinki Conference, held in 1975, such as: respect for sovereignty; refraining from the threat or use of force; respect for the territorial integrity of the States; peaceful settlement of conflicts; non-intervention in the internal affairs of the States; respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; right to self-determination of the peoples; and cooperation among States values and principles set down in the United Nations Charter.
Just as in 2009, with the handing of the Nobel Peace prize to Barack Obama, newly elected President of the USA, the Nobel Peace prize now awarded to the European Union does not contribute to give credibility and prestige to this award.
The following signatories voice their protest against the award of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union, and call on all WPC member and friendly organizations to to also voice their protest, namely on December 10 th when the award is presented.
December 2012
Subscribed by
Conselho Português para a Paz e Cooperação (CPPC)
International Action for Liberation (INTAL) - Belgium
Norway For Peace
Peace and Neutrality Alliance of Ireland (PANA)
Peace Association of Turkey
Peace Committee of Georgia
