Hans Köchler

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Hans Köchler (born October 18, 1948 in Schwaz, Tyrol, in Austria) is Full Professor of Philosophy and Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. In his general philosophical outlook he is influenced by Husserl and Heidegger, his legal thinking has been shaped by the approach of Kelsen. Köchler has made major contributions to phenomenology and philosophical anthropology and has developed a hermeneutics of trans-cultural understanding that has influenced the discourse on the dialogue of civilizations, particularly as regards the relations between Islam and the West. His research in political and legal philosophy -- combined with his involvement with the UN -- has resulted in a fundamental critique of the state-centered international system and in specific proposals for the democratization of the United Nations Organization and for a viable system of international criminal justice.

Western Philosophy
20th-century philosophy
Name: Hans Köchler
Birth: October 18, 1948 (Schwaz, Austria)
School/tradition: Phenomenology, existential philosophy, continental philosophy
Main interests: Hermeneutics, philosophy of law, political philosophy, philosophical anthropology
Notable ideas: "Transcendental realism", "dialectic of power and law", "cultural self-comprehension"
Influences: Husserl, Heidegger, Kant, Kelsen, Gadamer

Contents

[edit] Biography

In his student years Hans Köchler was actively involved as a Board Member of the Alpbach European Forum and established contacts with leading European intellectuals and philosophers such as Manès Sperber, Hans-Georg Gadamer or Rudi Supek of the Praxis school who he invited to his Innsbruck Lectures that he organized from 1969 onwards. These were his formative philosophical years; he initially developed an interest in existential philosophy, transcendental philosophy and phenomenology. In particular, he undertook an epistemological critique of Husserl's transcendental idealism and interpreted Heidegger's philosophy of Being in the sense of social critique, opening up -- in the Cold War era -- a dialogue with humanist philosophers of the Praxis school in Yugoslavia and in Czechoslovakia. As a doctoral student, he also had met in Alpbach with Ernst Bloch, Arthur Koestler and Karl Popper.

In 1972, Köchler graduated at the University of Innsbruck with a doctor degree in philosophy (Dr. phil.) with highest honours ("sub auspiciis praesidentis rei publicae"). In the years following his graduation he expanded his scholarly interest to philosophy of law and later political philosophy. Since the early 1970s he has been promoting the idea of inter-cultural dialogue which -- since the last decade -- has become known under the slogan of dialogue of civilizations. Köchler first outlined his hermeneutical philosophy of dialogue and his concept of cultural self-comprehension in a lecture at the Royal Scientific Society in Amman, Jordan, in March 1974 and discussed that notion in a tour around the world (March-April 1974) in the course of which he met with intellectuals and political leaders on all continents. Among his interlocutors were Yussef el-Sebai, Minister of Culture of Egypt, and Senegalese President Léopold Sédar Senghor. In recognition of his contribution to the dialogue among civilizations he received an honorary doctor degree (Doctor of Humanities honoris causa) from the Mindanao State University (Philippines) (2004).

Hans Köchler, right, with French poet Jean Genet who was his guest in Vienna, Austria, for a reading from his text on Palestine in December 1983
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Hans Köchler, right, with French poet Jean Genet who was his guest in Vienna, Austria, for a reading from his text on Palestine in December 1983

In 1982 he was appointed as University Professor of Philosophy (with special emphasis on Political Philosophy and Philosophical Anthropology). Since 1990 he has served as Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Innsbruck (Austria). At his University, Professor Köchler also has acted as Chairperson of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik (Working Group for Sciences and Politics) since 1971. In 1998 he served as Visiting Professor at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2004 he was appointed as Visiting Professorial Lecturer at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Manila.

Köchler is the Founder and President (since 1972) of the International Progress Organization (I.P.O.), an international non-governmental organization (NGO) in consultative status with the United Nations and with a membership in over 70 countries on all continents. He was the founder and Secretary-General (1973-1977) of Euregio Alpina (Study Group for the Alpine Region), a transnational planning structure for the Alpine region and predecessor of the new concept of the "Euro Regions" in the framework of the European Union. During the 1970s and 1980s Professor Köchler participated in the international phenomenological movement and organized several conferences and colloquia on the phenomenology of the life-world; he was the organizer of the Eighth International Phenomenological Conference in Salzburg (1980) and is the co-founder of the Austrian Society of Phenomenology. Since 1988 Professor Köchler has served as Coordinator of the International Committee for Palestinian Human Rights (ICPHR). He was co-founder of the European Ombudsman Institute in 1988. From 1991 until 2004 he served as Vice-Chairman of the Jamahir Society for Culture and Philosophy and Chairman of the Society's Editorial Board. From 1997 to 2004 he acted as Convenor (Austria) of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST). From 1997 to 2000 he served as member of the International Advisory Panel of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue at the University of Malaya (Kuala Lumpur). He is founding member of "The Cultural Meeting of East and West: The Occident and Islam − International Association of Scholars" (Boston, USA, 2005). From 2000 to 2006 Professor Köchler served as member of the Doctoral Grants Committee of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. In 2006 he was elected as Life Fellow of the International Academy for Philosophy (Yerevan-Athens-Berkeley).

Köchler has served in several committees and expert groups dealing with issues of international democracy, human rights and development such as the Research Network on Transnational Democracy sponsored by the European Commission (1994-1996); the Council of Europe's Expert Group on Democratic Citizenship (1998-2000); the Board of the NGO Committee on Development at the United Nations Center in Vienna (1994-); the Advisory Council of the International Movement for a Just World (Malaysia) (1997-); the Council of Europe's Expert Group on Democratic Citizenship (1998-2000); the Advisory Board of the Center for Balanced Development, USA (1999-2002); the International Advisory Council of the Committee for a Democratic United Nations, Germany (2003-); the Asia-Europe Foundation’s expert meeting on Cultural, Religious and Social Conceptions of Justice in Asia & Europe (Singapore, 2004).

[edit] Research and publications

Hans Köchler, left, and Polish philosopher Adam Schaff at the European Forum Alpbach, August 1980
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Hans Köchler, left, and Polish philosopher Adam Schaff at the European Forum Alpbach, August 1980

Köchler's publication list contains more than 350 books, reports and scholarly articles in several languages (Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Persian, Spanish, Serbo-Croat, Turkish). During the 1970s, he co-operated with Cardinal Karol Wojtyła of Kraków, later to become Pope John Paul II, within the framework of the International Society for Phenomenology. He published the first comment articles on the future Pope’s anthropological conception (e.g. the article Karol Wojtyła's Notion of the Irreducible in Man and the Quest for a Just World Order). During the 1980s he engaged in a critique of legal positivism (Philosophie -- Recht -- Politik, 1985) and developed a theory according to which human rights are the basis of the validity of international law (Die Prinzipien des Völkerrechts und die Menschenrechte, 1981). He also dealt with the applicability of democracy in inter-state relations (Democracy in International Relations, 1986). Legal theory led him to questions of political philosophy, and in particular a critique of the representative paradigm of democracy. During the 1990s Köchler got increasingly involved in questions of world order -- including the role and philosophical foundations of civilizational dialogue -- and in what he has called the dialectic relationship between power and law. On the basis of these reflections, he made major proposals for the reform of the United Nations Organization, in particular the Security Council, and for a comprehensive system of international criminal justice.

Köchler acts as editor of the series Studies in International Relations (Vienna), Veröffentlichungen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik (Innsbruck), and as member of the Editorial Board of the international academic journal Hekmat va Falsafeh (Wisdom and Philosophy), published by the Philosophy Department of Allameh Tabatabaii University, Iran. His publications deal with issues of phenomenology, existential philosophy, anthropology, human rights, philosophy of law, theory of international law, international criminal law, United Nations reform, theory of democracy, etc. Among his most influential monographs are Skepsis und Gesellschaftskritik im Denken Martin Heideggers (Skepticism and Social Critique in the Thought of Martin Heidegger), 1978; The Voting Procedure in the United Nations Security Council, 1991; Politik und Theologie bei Heidegger, 1991; Democracy and the New World Order, 1993; The United Nations Sanctions Policy and International Law, 1995; Humanitarian Intervention in the Context of Modern Power Politics, 2001; Global Justice or Global Revenge? International Criminal Law at the Crossroads, 2003; The European Constitution and the Imperatives of Transnational Democracy, 2005.

[edit] International impact

Hans Köchler with Pope John Paul II in the Vatican, February 1979
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Hans Köchler with Pope John Paul II in the Vatican, February 1979

Köchler has been the organizer of major international conferences in the fields of democracy, human rights, terrorism, and conflict resolution, among them the "International Conference on the Question of Terrorism" in Geneva (1987) and the "Second International Conference On A More Democratic United Nations" (CAMDUN-2) at the Vienna headquarters of the United Nations (1991). In 1996 he acted as Chairman of the final session and co-ordinator of the Drafting Committee of the "International Conference on Democracy and Terrorism" in New Delhi. In March 2002 he delivered the Fourteenth Centenary Lecture at the Supreme Court of the Philippines on "The United Nations, the International Rule of Law and Terrorism." On 1 September 2004 he delivered the Foundation Day Speech at Mindanao State University, Islamic City of Marawi, on "The Dialogue of Civilizations and the Future of World Order."

Hans Köchler, left, and Austrian Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky, right, at the Federal Chancellery in Vienna, November 1980
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Hans Köchler, left, and Austrian Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky, right, at the Federal Chancellery in Vienna, November 1980

Through his research and civil society initiatives, Professor Köchler made major contributions to the debate on international democracy and United Nations reform, in particular reform of the Security Council. This was acknowledged by international figures such as the German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel in 1993. In 1985, Professor Köchler organized the first major colloquium on "Democracy in International Relations" on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the United Nations in New York. With Irish Nobel Laureate Seán MacBride he initiated the Appeal by Lawyers against Nuclear War, which set in motion an international campaign that eventually led to a General Assembly resolution and the issuing of an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice. As President of the I.P.O. he dealt with the humanitarian issues of the exchange of prisoners of war between Iran and Iraq and with the issue of Kuwaiti POWs and missing people in Iraq. Since 1972, UN Secretaries-General in their statements subsequently acknowledged Professor Köchler's contribution to international peace. In April 2000, Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Professor Köchler as international observer at the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial. His two analytical reports on the trial and appeal proceedings had a considerable impact on the global debate over the problems and prospects of international criminal justice. In the framework of his activities as President of the International Progress Organization, he co-operated with numerous international figures such as the Founder President of Senegal, Léopold Sédar Senghor, on the issue of civilizational dialogue; then Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan, Cardinal Franz König of Austria, on Islamic-Christian understanding; Field Marshal Abdul Rahman Sowar el-Dahab, former Head of State of Sudan, on matters of POW exchange and international humanitarian law; Indian President Gyani Zail Singh on issues of international peace; and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Hilario G. Davide, Jr., on matters of international criminal justice.

Köchler is the recipient of numerous honours and awards such as the History Medal of the Austrian College Society; the award "Apostle of International Understanding" (Unity International Foundation, India); the Honorary Medal of the International Peace Bureau (Geneva); the Honorary Medal of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines; the Royal Datoship of the Sultanate of Marawi (Muslim Mindanao). On 18 October 2003 the Hans Koechler Political and Philosophical Society was established in the Philippines. On 1 September 2004 the Hans Koechler Center for Civilizational Dialogue was announced at Mindanao State University.

[edit] Selected works

[edit] Books

  • Die Subjekt-Objekt-Dialektik in der transzendentalen Phänomenologie. Das Seinsproblem zwischen Idealismus und Realismus. (Monographien zur philosophischen Forschung, vol. 112.) Meisenheim a. G.: Anton Hain, 1974.
  • Skepsis und Gesellschaftskritik im Denken Martin Heideggers. Monographien zur philosophischen Forschung, vol. 158. Meisenheim a. G.: Anton Hain, 1978.
  • Philosophie – Recht – Politik. Abhandlungen zur politischen Philosophie und zur Rechtsphilosophie. Veröffentlichungen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik an der Universität Innsbruck, vol. 4. Vienna/New York: Springer-Verlag, 1985.
  • Phenomenological Realism. Selected Essays. Frankfurt a. M./Bern: Peter Lang, 1986.
  • Politik und Theologie bei Heidegger. Politischer Aktionismus und theologische Mystik nach "Sein und Zeit." Veröffentlichungen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik an der Universität Innsbruck, vol. 7. Innsbruck: Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wissenschaft und Politik, 1991.
  • Democracy and the International Rule of Law. Propositions for an Alternative World Order. Selected Papers Published on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations. Vienna/New York: Springer-Verlag, 1995.
  • Neue Wege der Demokratie. Demokratie im globalen Spannungsfeld von Machtpolitik und Rechtsstaatlichkeit. Vienna/New York: Springer-Verlag, 1998.
  • Manila Lectures 2002. Terrorism and the Quest for a Just World Order. Quezon City (Manila): FSJ Book World, 2002.
  • Global Justice or Global Revenge? International Criminal Justice at the Crossroads. Philosophical Reflections on the Principles of the International Legal Order Published on the Occasion of the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Foundation of the International Progress Organization. SpringerScience. Vienna/New York: Springer-Verlag, 2003. -- Indian edition published by the Indian Society of International Law. New Delhi: Manak Publications, 2005.
  • Turkish edition of "Global Justice or Global Revenge?": Küresel Adalet mi, Küresel İntikam mı? General editor: Türkkaya Ataöv. Trans. by Funda Keskin and Erdem Denk. Istanbul: Alkım Yayınevi, 2005.

[edit] Edited works

  • The New International Economic Order. Philosophical and Socio-cultural Implications. Studies in International Relations, III. Guildford (England): Guildford Educational Press, 1980.
  • The Legal Aspects of the Palestine Problem with Special Regard to the Question of Jerusalem. Studies in International Relations, IV. Vienna: Braumüller, 1981.
  • The New Information and Communication Order. Basis for Cultural Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence among Nations. Studies in International Relations, X. Vienna: Braumüller, 1985.
  • The Reagan Administration's Foreign Policy. Facts and Judgment of the International Tribunal. Studies in International Relations, XI. London/Vienna: Third World Centre, 1985.
  • The Crisis of Representative Democracy. Frankfurt a. M./Bern/New York: Peter Lang, 1987.
  • Terrorism and National Liberation. Studies in International Relations, XIII. Frankfurt a.M./Bern/Paris/New York: Peter Lang, 1988.
  • Transplantationsmedizin und personale Identität. Medizinische, ethische, rechtliche und theologische Aspekte der Organverpflanzung. Frankfurt a. M. etc.: Peter Lang, 2001.
  • The Use of Force in International Relations – Challenges to Collective Security. Studies in International Relations, XXIX. Vienna: International Progress Organization, 2006.

[edit] Works available online

[edit] Complete bibliography

http://hanskoechler.com/hkpubl.htm

[edit] Köchler on Heidegger

[edit] Monographs

[edit] Selected articles

  • "God in the Thought of Martin Heidegger," in: S. A. Matczak (ed.), God in Contemporary Thought. A Philosophical Perspective. A Collective Study. New York: Learned Publications; Louvain: Editions Nauwelaerts; Paris: Beatrice-Nauwelaerts, 1977, pp. 751-773.
  • "Da li je Heideggerova fundamentalna ontologija odgovara drustvenim normama? U vezi s pitanjem sustavne valorizacije njegova nacionalsocijalistickog angazmana," in: Godišnjak za povijest filozofije, Zagreb, vol. 7 (1989), pp. 147-162 (special issue Heidegger I suvremeno mišljenje). (Croatian)
  • "Il concetto di essere in Heidegger e l’interrogativo sul dio personale,” in: Hugo Ott and Giorgio Penzo (eds.), Heidegger e la teologia. Atti del Convegno tenuto a Trento l'8-9 febbraio 1990. Brescia: Morcelliana, 1995, pp. 25-41. (Italian)
  • "Heideggers Konzeption des Subjekts auf dem Hintergrund seiner Ontologie," in: R. L. Fetz, R. Hagenbüchle, P. Schulz (eds.), Geschichte und Vorgeschichte der modernen Subjektivität, Vol. II. Berlin/New York: de Gruyter, 1998, pp. 1058-1072. (German)
  • "Heidegger’in ontolojisinde süje kavrami," in: Felsefe Dünyasi, Ankara, vol. 29, no. 1 (1999), pp. 3-11. (Turkish)

[edit] Commentary

[edit] Köchler on the dialogue of civilizations

  • Cultural-philosophical Aspects of International Cooperation. Lecture delivered at the Royal Scientific Society, Amman, Jordan, 9 March 1974. Published in: Studies in International Cultural Relations, II. Vienna: I.P.O., 1978.
  • Muslim-Christian Ties in Europe: Past, Present and Future. Lecture delivered at the Second International Seminar on Civilizational Dialogue, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2 September 1996. Islam Online (Vizion Islam / Albanian version)
  • After September 11: Clash of Civilizations or Dialogue? Lecture delivered at the University of the Philippines (UP), Manila, Philippines, 11 March 2002. UP Forum Online
  • The Dialogue of Civilizations: Philosophical Basis, Political Dimensions and the Relevance of International Sporting Events. Lecture delivered at the FIFA World Cup Roundtable, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 1 June 2002. International Progress Organization, Online Paper
  • The Dialogue of Civilizations: Philosophical Basis, Current State and Prospects. Lecture delivered at the invitation of the Asia-Europe Foundation and the Danish Youth Council in Hillerød, Denmark, on 22 September 2002. Asia Europe Journal, Vol. 1, No. 3 (August 2003)
  • The "Clash of Civilizations": Perception and Reality in the Context of Globalization and International Power Politics. Lecture delivered at the invitation of the International Black Sea University in Tbilisi, Georgia, 30 September 2004.Hans Köchler Online Papers 2004
  • The Dialogue of Civilizations and the Future of World Order. The 43rd MSU Foundation Day Address delivered at Mindanao State University, Philippines, 1 September 2004. Mindanao Journal, Vol. XXVIII (2005)
  • Civilization as Instrument of World Order? The Role of the Civilizational Paradigm in the Absence of a Balance of Power. Lecture delivered at the International Symposion on "Civilizations and World Orders," Istanbul, Turkey, 13 May 2006. Future Islam, New Delhi, July/August 2006


[edit] Köchler on international terrorism

  • Opening speech by the President of the I.P.O., in: Hans Köchler (ed.), Terrorism and National Liberation. Frankfurt a.M./Bern/New York: Peter Lang, 1988, pp. 11–14.
  • (Initiator) The Baku Declaration on Global Dialogue and Peaceful Co-existence Among Nations and the Threats posed by International Terrorism. International Progress Organization. Baku, Azerbaijan, 9 November 2001. I.P.O.: Baku Declaration.
  • The United Nations, International Rule of Law and Terrorism, in: The Supreme Court Centenary Lecture Series. I: July 2000 – June 2001; II. September 2001 – June 2002. Manila: Supreme Court of the Philippines / Philippine Judicial Academy, 2002, pp. 550–571.
  • The 'Clash of Civilizations,' the Problem of Terrorism and Strategies Towards Peaceful Co-existence Among Nations, in: ASEM Youth Dialogue on Globalisation, 19–22 September 2002, Hillerød, Denmark. Conference Presentations.
  • The War on Terror, its Impact on the Sovereignty of Nations, and its Implications for Human Rights and Civil Liberties. International Ecumenical Conference on Terrorism in a Globalized World, organized by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), the World Council of Churches, and the Christian Conference in Asia (Manila, 25 September 2002).
  • Las Naciones Unidas, el imperio internacional del derecho y el terrorismo. Conferencia centenaria. Suprema Corte de Filipinas y Academia Judicial de Filipinas. Manila, 12 de Marzo del 2002. Occasional Papers Series, No. 7. Vienna: International Progress Organization, 2003. (Spanish)
  • Manila Lectures 2002. Terrorism and the Quest for a Just World Order. Quezon City, Manila: FSJ Book World, 2002.
  • Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism. Towards a Comprehensive Approach. I.P.O. Online Papers, at www.i-p-o.org, 2003.
  • Image:hk-terrorism-chinese.jpg [UN, International Rule of Law, Terrorism / Chinese, translated by He Zhipeng], in: 法制與社會發展(吉林) [Law and Social Development], Vol. 9, No. 6, 2003 (Series No. 54), pp. 12–20. (Chinese)
  • The United Nations and International Terrorism: Challenges to Collective Security. Lecture delivered at the Shanghai Center for International Studies, 15 November 2002. I.P.O. Research Papers. Vienna: International Progress Organization, 2004.

[edit] Köchler on United Nations reform

  • The Voting Procedure in the United Nations Security Council. Examining a Normative Contradiction and its Consequences on International Relations. Studies in International Relations, XVII. Vienna: International Progress Organization, Wien 1991.
  • The United Nations Security Council and the New World Order, in: Frank Barnaby (ed.), Building A More Democratic United Nations. Proceedings of the First International Conference on a More Democratic UN. London: Cass, 1991, pp. 238–245.
  • The United Nations and the New World Order. Philosophical Reflections, in: Hans Köchler (ed.), The United Nations and the New World Order. (Studies in International Relations, XVIII.) Vienna: International Progress Organization, 1992, pp. 7–21.
  • Democracy and the International Rule of Law. Propositions for an Alternative World Order. Selected Papers Published on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations. Vienna/New York: Springer-Verlag, 1995.
  • The United Nations Sanctions Policy and International Law. Penang, Malaysia: Just World Trust (JUST), 1995. -- Arabic version: Image:HK-sanctions-Arabic.png. Vienna: Jamahir Society for Culture and Philosophy, 1997.
  • Self-Determination as a Means of Democratization of the United Nations & the International System, in: Y. N. Kly and D. Kly (eds.), In Pursuit of the Right to Self-determination. Collected Papers & Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Right to Self-determination & the United Nations, Geneva 2000. Atlanta: Clarity Press, 2001, pp. 133–142.
  • Quo Vadis, United Nations?, in: Law Review, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, College of Law, May 2005, pp. 49-65.
  • The United Nations Organization and Global Power Politics. The Antagonism Between Power and Law and the Future of World Order, in: Chinese Journal of International Law, Vol. 5, No. 2 (2006), pp. 323-340.

[edit] References

  • Hans Köchler. Global Justice or Global Revenge. International Criminal Justice at the Crossroads. REVIEW. Quezon City, Metro Manila: H. Koechler Political and Philosophical Society, 2004.
  • [Biographical sketches of the members of the International Academy for Philosophy]: "Hans Köchler," in: News and Views, No. 13 (November 2006). Yerevan (Armenia)/Athens (Greece)/Berkeley (USA): International Academy for Philosophy, 2006, pp. 46-53.
  • Fatemah Remedios C. Balbin (ed.), Hans Köchler Bibliography and Reader. Quezon City, Metro Manila: H. Koechler Political and Philosophical Society & Foundation for Social Justice, 2007. ISBN 978-3-900719-04-3

[edit] Major international conferences organized by Hans Köchler

  • Die europäische Aufgabe der Alpenregion [The European Vocation of the Alpine Region] -- Innsbruck, Austria, 2-3 June 1971
  • Österreich und die EWG [Austria and the European Economic Community] -- Innsbruck, Austria, 2-3 June 1972
  • The Cultural Self-comprehension of Nations -- in co-operation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Innsbruck, Austria, 27-29 July 1974
  • The Legal Aspects of the Palestine Problem with Special Regard to the Question of Jerusalem -- Vienna, Austria, 5-7 November 1980
  • The Concept of Monotheism in Islam and Christianity -- Rome, Italy, 17-19 November 1981
  • The Principles of Non-alignment – The Non-aligned Countries in the Eighties: Results and Perspectives -- Baghdad, Iraq, 4-6 May 1982
  • The New International Information and Communication Order – Basis for Cultural Dialogue and Peaceful Co-existence among Nations -- in co-operation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Nicosia, Cyprus, 26-27 October 1984
  • Democracy in International Relations -- organized on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations Organization, New York City, USA, 31 October 1985
  • The Crisis of Representative Democracy -- Geneva, Switzerland, 15-17 November 1985
  • The Question of Terrorism -- Geneva, Switzerland, 19-21 March 1987
  • Second International Conference On A More Democratic United Nations (CAMDUN-2) -- United Nations Office at Vienna, Austria, 17-19 September 1991
  • Islam and the West - The Conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina and its Implications for a New World Order -- Vienna, Austria, 25 November 1993
  • Civilizations: Conflict or Dialogue? -- in co-operation with the Departments of Philosophy and American Studies at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, 8 June 1998
  • The Challenges of Globalization -- University of Munich, Germany, 18-19 March 1999
  • Transplantationsmedizin und personale Identität [Transplantation Medicine and Personal Identity] -- University of Innsbruck, Austria, 15 March 2000
  • ¿Cómo democratizar la democracia? [How to Democratize Democracy?] -- in co-operation with Simón Bolívar University, Caracas, Venezuela, 7-8 November 2000
  • Human and Peoples’ Rights in International Relations -- in co-operation with Myongji University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 25 October 2001
  • The United Nations and International Power Politics: The Future of World Order -- in co-operation with International Human Rights Association of American Minorities and East-West University, Chicago, Ill., USA, 5 June 2004

[edit] Interviews

[edit] Media

[edit] External links