24 October – United Nations Day

To rethink the fundamental principles of the UN Charter in the twenty-first century. Scholars united around this
idea during a conference marking the 80th anniversary of the establishment
of the world organisation. The conference was organised by the Institute for the State and the Law at the
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The participants in the forum were greeted by the Director of the "UN and
Global Issues" Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Magdalena Ilieva, as well as
by the Chief Scientific Secretary of BAS, Prof. Neli Koseva.

"The UN is the most important universal international organisation in the modern world,
a global forum for discussing the problems of peace, security, cooperation
between states and peoples, the protection of human rights and the resolution of the global
problems of humanity," stated the Director of the ISL, Prof. Irena Ilieva, at the opening of the conference. Lecturers from South-West University "Neofit Rilski", New Bulgarian University, Plovdiv University "Paisii Hilendarski", the Free University of Burgas and the Military Academy, as well as scholars and doctoral students from the Institute for the State and the
Law, took part in the forum with papers in four panels.

Within the academic forum, Prof. Irena Ilieva presented her analysis of
the key points in the speech of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the position of
Bulgaria. She stressed that the modern world is characterised by growing conflicts,
social inequalities and global insecurity. "The UN faces five key
challenges – peace, human rights, climate change, the development of
technologies and the need for reform," Prof. Ilieva pointed out. She drew attention
to the main message of the Secretary-General – the choice facing
humanity – between a world of force and a world of law, between the egoism of national
interests and the spirit of international cooperation. Prof. Ilieva noted that
Bulgaria has confirmed its commitment to effective multilateralism and reform
of the UN, including through the "UN-80" initiative, which aims at greater transparency and
accountability of the organisation. The Director of the Institute clarified that, despite the global
challenges, the UN remains an indispensable forum for dialogue, solidarity and shared
responsibility for the future of humanity.

The doyen of Bulgarian international law,
Prof. Emil Konstantinov, who is also a long-standing head of the ISL, joined the first panel online. He drew
attention to the contemporary significance of the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.
"Bulgaria consistently follows the principles of the UN and has ratified over 60 of its
conventions, including key instruments on human rights, the environment, the law of the sea and
the fight against corruption. Today, when geopolitical tension is growing,
international law is once again being put to the test. The erosion of trust in
multilateral institutions, the increasing unilateral actions and the undermining of
the norms of the Charter create a sense of crisis in the international legal order. For Bulgaria,
which actively participates in the system of the Charter, its principles are not an abstraction, but a real
framework for a foreign policy based on law, equality and cooperation,"
stressed Prof. Emil Konstantinov. He added that global challenges – from
climate catastrophes and armed conflicts to social inequalities and cyber threats –
require more international law, and that the world must remain true to the spirit of San
Francisco – equality, peace, good faith and cooperation.

Next, Assoc. Prof. Ana Dzhumalieva gave a retrospective of the organisation over
the years and the accompanying crises and hopes, and Assoc. Prof. Katerina Yocheva of NBU presented
"The (Un)achieved Goals of the UN, or Why a Reform of the Charter Is Necessary", drawing
attention to specific decisions.

In his paper, Chief Assist. Prof. Georgi Bakyov commented on the international law aspects of
the "UN-80" initiative. "The official narrative of the initiative legitimises the reform
of the organisation through the language of modernisation and efficiency, but behind this discourse there
emerges a protracted financial crisis, which has evolved into a structurally defining
international law problem that undermines the stability of the international order and
limits the ability of the UN to fulfil its mandate fully," summarised Chief
Assist. Prof. Georgi Bakyov. He pointed out financial parameters that clearly confirm the thesis of
the need for reforms in the world organisation.

Prof. Daniela-Anca Deteseanu from Romania took part in the forum, as did Assoc. Prof. Paunita
Petrova, who familiarised her colleagues with the role and significance of the UN for the development of the
international legal protection of social rights, and Prof. Nadezhda Yonkova presented
her research on the contribution of the Organisation to the realisation of the right to
information. Then Assoc. Prof. Gergana
Gozanska of Plovdiv University "Paisii Hilendarski" presented her study of the right to education in the international instruments
adopted by the UN and its Bulgarian translation. The third panel focused on sustainable
development and the UN's global governance, with papers delivered by Assoc. Prof. Toni Dimov and Chief Assist. Prof.
Boyan Zhekov, PhD, of the "G. S. Rakovski" Military Academy. Then Assoc. Prof. Atanas Vladikov of Plovdiv University
"Paisii Hilendarski" commented on the possibilities of public-private partnership in
the field of culture and presented good practices from Japan and the UNESCO model for the protection of
cultural heritage in Bulgaria and worldwide. During the fourth panel
of the forum, international criminal law was discussed. Papers were presented by
Chief Assist. Prof. Ognyan Velev and Vesela Terzieva, PhD, whose focus was criminal justice and
the contribution of the UN Security Council to the development of international criminal
law.

The conference, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the UN and the 70th
anniversary of Bulgaria's admission to the world organisation, was held in a hybrid
format in Bulgarian and English. The papers will be included in a volume, which will make
its contribution to research devoted to the UN.