EDITORIAL COMMENT: UN needs to reform to adapt to changing trends

United Nations Security CouncilTHE United Nations needs to reform and move away from the current unilateralism where the world body is dominated by global superpowers abusing the Security Council to further their nefarious agendas. Since the end of World War II in 1945, the UN has been dominated by the victors of that war who have been using their permanent seats on the Security Council to wage unjust wars and exercised dominion over weaker, smaller states.

President Robert Mugabe, who is the current African Union chairman, has always advocated for a reform of the UN system, particularly its powerful Security Council, so that it reflects the changing governance changes in the world and is truly representative of the community of nations. Addressing the 70th UN General Assembly on Monday, Cde Mugabe said reform of the Security Council was needed not only to improve global governance, but also to reflect changes that have taken place in the world since the Second World War ended in 1945.

The AU is pushing for at least two veto-wielding permanent seats on the Security Council while other countries, including Brazil, India and Japan, are also vying for similar seats, representing their respective continents. But the long-running reform demands are being strongly resisted by the United States and its European allies Britain and France.

“While the world has drastically changed since 1945, the United Nations and indeed the global governance architecture, remains mired in a long bygone era,” President Mugabe said. “Adaptation to change is the most critical ingredient for the vibrancy and effectiveness of any organisation, including the United Nations,” he added. Calling the current UN Security Council composition, which also includes China and Russia as veto-wielding members, unrepresentative, President Mugabe said the reforms smaller countries were demanding would ensure justice, fairness and multilateralism in global governance.

He said the current UN Security Council set up was being used to push through unilateral agendas of some of the veto-wielding council members, jeopardising global governance. President Mugabe said Zimbabwe, having suffered almost two decades of illegal, unilateral sanctions imposed by the West, staunchly stood for multilateralism.

He also advocated for an expanded role and voice for the UN General Assembly, which is composed of the entire membership of the world body. Despite its numerical superiority, the General Assembly wields little power or voice in the United Nations system. Much of this is vested in the Security Council which, in recent years, has been abused by the United States to wage war against regimes it opposed such as that of slain Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The UN Charter, President Mugabe said, does not arrogate the right to some to sit in judgment over others as it obligated all states to respect and uphold human rights. “Co-operation and respect for each other will advance the cause of human rights worldwide. Confrontation, vilification and double standards will not,” he said.

We concur with the President and call for a reform of the UN system to align it with the changing trends.

The continued dominance of the UN Security Council by a clique of powerful countries who use it to further their interests around the world is an affront on the world body’s charter whose foundation is built on the bedrock of the sovereign equality and independence of its members.

Examples abound of the tragic consequences of the scourge of unilateralism from the Middle East where chaos reigns in countries such as Syria and Iraq to Africa where Libya is an anarchic wasteland thanks to the interventionist polices of Nato which ignored the AU’s opinion and invaded the country to topple Gaddafi.

As a direct result of the mess created by the West, a refugee crisis of unprecedented proportions is staring Europe in the face with hordes of people fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Libya flooding Germany, England, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Italy and Turkey.

In Zimbabwe’s case, the country has been under sanctions for two decades and these have had debilitating consequences on the economy.

Calling on the US and EU to lift the embargo, President Mugabe said Zimbabwe was committed to nurturing friendly relations with other nations and invited those the country might have had differences in the past to eschew threats, pressures and punitive actions in favour of reconciliation, friendship and dialogue.

We urge the West to embrace the President’s call for a cessation of hostilities so that a new chapter of mutual respect, close co-operation and non-interference in the internal affairs of each other’s states is adopted.

The starting point would be total lifting of sanctions so that Zimbabwe’s quest to revive its economy is not impeded. As a full member of the UN committed to upholding its charter, the country deserves to be left in peace to chart its own path.

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