UN People's Assembly: the second day addresses the issues of disarmament, peace, and global governance - October 10, 2025, Perugia
The second day of the UN of the Peoples opened on Friday, October 10, with a session entitled “Stop Wars and Rearmament”, which brought together influential voices from conflict zones and international organizations, including Andrea De Domenico of the UN in Ukraine and representatives from Colombia, Kurdistan, and Western Sahara. The panel highlighted the urgency of concrete action against rearmament, with significant contributions from Francesco Vignarca of the “Stop Rearmament” campaign and testimonies from health workers in Afghanistan and Sudan, emphasizing the human impact of global conflicts.
At the same time, the States General of PhD Students in Peace Studies was held at the University for Foreigners of Perugia. This event, opened by Rector Valerio De Cesaris, aimed to create a space for dialogue between the academic world and civil society on peacebuilding and the protection of human rights. The session, led by Alessandro Saggioro, head of the PhD program, saw doctoral students discuss four key issues: the crisis of the UN and international law in the face of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the war in Ukraine; invisible wars in Africa; migration and the criminalization of solidarity and hospitality; and the role of researchers in rebuilding peace.
The morning sessions concluded with a panel discussion by Articolo 21 on the theme “Disarming words to disarm minds to disarm the earth.” Leading figures in journalism and communication explored the role of language in promoting peace, in response to Pope Francis' appeal.
In the afternoon, the third session, “Let's save the UN: it is our common home”, addressed the crucial issue of the reform and democratization of the United Nations. The panel, led by Prof. Marco Mascia of the University of Padua, included international law experts such as Micaela Frulli and former UN officials such as Jean Fabre and Andrea Tamagnini, offering a comprehensive perspective on the challenges and opportunities for the future of global governance.
The day ended with a powerful panel discussion: "Let's stop genocide and ethnic cleansing. Let's save the Palestinian people". Richard Falk and Michael Lynk, former Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations Human Rights Council, offered an in-depth perspective on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. First-hand accounts, such as those of Yara Abushabi, a student from Gaza, and Mohammad Hureini, an activist from At-Tuwani, provided a vivid picture of the ongoing conflict.