Zimpapers Logo

THE United Nations Charter enjoins member states to be bound by its principles whose noble intentions include maintaining peace and security in the world. Although it has increasingly become a toothless bulldog over the past few decades largely due to the condescending attitude of big super powers led by the United States, the UN is still a force for good in the world and has been effective in ensuring that member states stick to its founding ideals.

As world leaders gather for the 71st UN General Assembly in New York this week, the world is faced with an unprecedented refugee crisis spawned by the displacement of millions of people in troubled hot spots such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.

On Monday, the world body adopted a key declaration in the midst of a growing refugee crisis whose roots lie in US and European destabilisation of fragile states. Though not legally binding, the declaration calls on countries to protect the human rights of the world’s more than 65 million refugees, increase humanitarian aid, help with resettlement, standardise responses and provide better education and employment opportunities for displaced people.

President Mugabe, who is at the UN for the General Assembly, addressed world leaders on Monday and described the adoption of the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants as a step in the right direction in ensuring dignity for all. He said the selfish interests of a few nations are the root cause of the large-scale displacement of people the world over. “Over the past year we have witnessed harrowing images of refugees risking their lives to flee the dire realities in their countries of origin. We have been equally shocked at the hostile reception refugees have often been subjected to,” President Mugabe said.

“Against this background, we are pleased at the convening of this important meeting that allows us to explore a collective blueprint for dealing with large movements of refugees and migrants. We are also pleased that the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants highlights the importance of addressing the root cause of the large movements.”

He went on: “We have noted that a large portion of refugees that have landed on European shores originated from countries in armed conflict such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria.

“We therefore are convinced that a return to the UN Charter ideals of saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war and refraining from using armed force is critical in addressing the root cause of large movements of refugees.”

He said the predilection to military force by some countries had needlessly created a refugee crisis.

“More often than not, member states have been too keen to resort to force without exhausting peaceful means. This hegemonic military doctrine and adventurism, fuelled by a desire to achieve the narrow national interests of a powerful few, is the root of the proliferation of armed conflicts which have spawned so many refugees today.”

We concur with the President that the refugee crisis has been caused by the interventionist policies of the US, Britain, France and other Western powers in the Middle East and other fragile states.

We call on the UN to rein in these powerful countries and ensure that the world body returns to the ideals of its Charter. Article 1 of the UN Charter calls on member states to maintain international peace and security, to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace.

Critically, Article 2 enjoins all UN members to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.

We feel if the UN should find ways of calling its members to order and impress on powerful nations to refrain from using military force to resolve conflict. Clearly, their military adventures have backfired spectacularly as they have left a trail of failed states and caused a refugee crisis which is straining their economies as well.

The dehumanisation of refugees in their adopted countries is frustrating them to the extent that some of them are venting and resorting to extreme measures to express their disgust. Displaced people in countries such as Germany, France, UK and the US are profiled and treated as terrorists yet they are fleeing anarchy and chaos engineered by the foreign policies of their host nations.

The Western powers need to pull out of Syria, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan and leave these countries to determine their internal affairs so that the refugee crisis and the growing threat of terrorism can be curbed.