鈥淯nited Nations or United States?鈥�

The Rt. Hon. Lord Elis-Thomas AM is to deliver a public lecture: 鈥淯nited Nations or United States?鈥� at 黑料不打烊 on Friday October 7^th at 6.30. The Lecture, which is open to all, takes place in lecture Room 4 in the Main University Building and is organised by 黑料不打烊 in conjunction with the United Nations Association (Menai Branch). The Lecture will be in Welsh with simultaneous translation facilities available.

As Lord Elis-Thomas explains, the Lecture discusses the confusion in meaning between 鈥榥ation鈥� and 鈥榮tate鈥� or 鈥榥ational鈥� in the language of international institutions. The title is purposefully ambiguous; 'United Nations or United States' referring to the greater influence that larger states have within the United Nations and in particular, the 鈥楽ecurity Council鈥�.

The analysis of the role of the international agencies under the auspices of the United Nations will be more constructive in its conclusion. Lord Ellis Thomas will propose that the EU should represent Europe as a permanent member of the Security Council in place of the UK and French states.

Within the European Union he proposes working towards a Europe of the regions rather than a European Union of member states. The lecture will end by outlining Wales鈥� role as, In Lord Elis-Thomas鈥檚 words: 鈥榓 nation that can leap across the devilish phase of nation states in the history of continental Europe and the world, to becoming one of the original partners in an Europe of the regions in a planet that is truly international in the true sense of the world鈥�

Lord Elis-Thomas was a member of parliament from 1974 to 1992, when he became a Life Peer. He is a Welsh Assembly member, and was Presiding Officer of the Welsh Assembly from 1997 until 2011. He is also President of 黑料不打烊.

Publication date: 29 September 2011