Ambassador Terzi, what is the Global Committee for the Rule of Law “Marco Pannella”?
The Global Committee for the Rule of Law “Marco Pannella” (GCRL) is an organization made up of internationally renowed personalities from all continents and guided by a twofold, precise objective: fighting the erosion of the rule of law and promoting the full affirmation of human rights on a global level, as required by the 1945 UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The Committee supports the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational Transparty (NRPTT) and in particular, following a multilateral and nonviolent approach dear to Marco Pannella, the campaign for the affirmation of the Right to Know, as a prerequisite to allow the expansion of inhabited territories and governed by the democratic rule of law. The Committee is also composed of a Scientific Council made up of prominent international lawyers. The Council was chaired by the late Prof. Cherif Bassiouni, considered one of the main inspirer of the creation of an International Criminal Court and prominent personalities in post-conflict rehabilitation processes based on the Rule of Law and human rights. The Scientific Council is committed to define and put forward a universally recognized Right to Know and its concrete application by the international community.
How was the GCRL created?
The Committee was founded in March 2016 by Marco Pannella, leader of the Nonviolent Radical Party, who died just two months later, on 19 May 2016. Since I had already worked close to Marco in some of his important international battles, in particular for the European Union and for the United Nations, I was really surprised when he appointed me as President and Matteo Angioli, long his close associate and friend, as Secretary General.
What are the goals of the GCRL?
Strengthening the Rule of Law and the universality of human rights is crucial to reaffirming both the key principles enshrined in the UN Charter and the responsabilities of all states on a global scale. This goal can not be achieved without a continous observation and improvement of democratic supervision of citizens. We are convicted that this is possible through the recognition of civil and human right to know about what and how governments are deciding for us citizens. It is not by chance that the logo chosen as the symbol of the Committee is inspired by the seal of Magna Carta, the document signed in 1215 near Runnymede, in the county of Windsor, in England, which established for the first time that no one is above the law, including the sovereign. As the Latin saying goes “non sub homine sed sub (deo et) lege”.
What does the GCRL specifically aim to?
We are an observatory that reads, analyzes and produces national and international politics and policies, by benefiting from the intellectual and practical capacity of our honorary members and from the experience and teaching of Marco Pannella that we hope we have absorved. This is why we organize and we attend various events: for example, just a few days ago, on 10 March, we partecipated in a march in Geneva organized by Tibetan friends, to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the 1959 Lhasa uprising and to ask that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights can freely access the oppressed region of the Chinese communist regime. We also promote debates and meetings aimed at making citizens aware of the importance of knowing in order to decide. Last 24 january, at the headquarters of the Transnational Radical Party in Rome, which is also the seat of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law, a press conference was held on the state of political information in Italy on the eve of these elections. For many years the Nonviolent Radical Party has denounced the serious opacity and as many serious shortcomings of a “system” that Pannella never hesitated to label as a “regime”. We have analized and documented once again modalities, subterfuges, omission, manipulations of statistical data provided by agencies that in recent months were responsible for and that implement par condicio rules, which are obsolete since they date back to 2000, before the digital revolution. We have also allowed some members of oppressed minorities toaddress the Italian Parliament or the UN Human Rights Council. In short, we are active on several fronts with more instruments and even with a bit of imagination, just as Marco Pannella liked. Since he has ideally “passed the torch” on tu us, I believe that we can rightly feel justified in order to be successful, with not a few efforts and thanks to the admirable commitment of many supporters of the GCRL, the NRPTT and Hands Off Cain to be constantly active and influential in many issues concerning individual cases of serious injustice and repression, as well as situations of crisis and massive violations of human rights and the rule of law. The Global Committee represents an important point of reference for fundamental freedoms and for the dignity of the human person. We can only hope that it will be increasingly recognized and supported by the political world and by civil society.
Read the interview on the website Geopolitica.info