The Future in the Past (Session 2)

The World Citizen Book Club continued its exploration of The Future in the Past by Dr. S.M. Sharei in this second session, covering Chapters 3 and 4. Participants delved deeper into the legal and political dimensions of the “San Francisco Promise” and its potential to reshape global governance.

About the Book

A forgotten clause in the UN Charter, the “San Francisco Promise,” offers a way forward to reform the United Nations from its current democratic deficit and the Security Council’s veto power. The permanent five members of the Security Council agreed to a clause allowing for Charter Review ten years after the UN came into force. This promise was activated in 1955 but was later breached and abandoned. The review conference, endowed in the Charter and legally still valid, could pave the way for writing a constitution for the UN, allowing it to reinvent itself to better face current and future global challenges and fulfill the objectives of the UN Charter’s preamble.

About the Author

Dr. S.M. Sharei specializes in public international law and the UN Charter and is the founding Executive Director and President of the Center for United Nations Constitutional Research (CUNCR). He holds a PhD and LLM in International Law, an MS in Computer Science, and a BSc in Applied Economics and Management. Under his direction, CUNCR launched research programs including the “Climate Justice, Democracy and Governance” series and the Youth Climate Ambassador program, bringing activists from every continent together for advocacy toward a sustainable planet. Dr. Sharei has also initiated the “How to Assemble Parliamentary Assemblies” series on institutional capacity-building among regional inter-parliamentary institutions. For over 30 years, he has been an activist in nuclear disarmament, UN reform, and democratic global governance.

Discussion Highlights

In this session, the book club explored the middle chapters of the book, examining the historical trajectory of the San Francisco Promise from its activation in 1955 through its subsequent abandonment. Participants discussed the legal arguments for why the Charter review mechanism remains valid and the political dynamics that have prevented its implementation, including the resistance of permanent Security Council members to reforms that could dilute their veto power.