UN Security Council needs urgent reform, President Cyril Ramaphosa says
 |
| South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa |
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa should be commended for growing a pair and effectively telling his peers (read: heads of state and government) that Africa is tired of being treated like an unwanted stepchild by global superpowers, stressing the need for Mother Africa to have a place in the sun.
Addressing the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, US, on Tuesday, Ramaphosa criticised the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for having largely remained unchanged 78 years since its formation.
The UNSC, whose stated objective is to maintain international peace and security, has five permanent member states including the US, France, UK, China and Russia. The 10 non-permanent members are Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Switzerland.
While the council is mandated to mediate between warring parties to settle their disputes amicably, in some cases it can resort to imposing sanctions or even “authorise the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security”.
As a way of example, on March 17 2011 the UNSC approved Resolution 1973, which – as we all know – led to global powers including the US, France, UK and other powerful nations launching aerial bombing raids in Libya that toppled the government and ultimately led to Muammar Gaddafi’s death.
Political actors and critics have long argued that the UNSC bullies weaker nations and that in most conflicts it gets entangled in, it leaves behind sheer hopelessness, abject poverty, despair and deferred dreams.
It was probably with this in mind that Ramaphosa reminded his peers that achieving and maintaining peace and security requires the “collective will of the community of nations”.
“It requires that the UN Security Council is representative and inclusive. Seventy-eight years since its formation, the structure of the UN Security Council remains largely unchanged,” Ramaphosa said.
“Africa and its 1.4-billion people remain excluded from its key decision-making structures. The Security Council has not fulfilled its mandate to maintain international peace and security.”
Ramaphosa said the UNSC must be reformed as a matter of urgency. “It must become more inclusive so that the voices of all nations are heard and considered. Africa stands ready to play its part in building a safer global order.”
The SA president noted that the African Union (AU) and its member states are engaged in mediation, dialogue, and diplomacy across the continent, to create conditions under which peace and development can take hold.
“There must be greater collaboration between the AU and the UN towards resolving these conflicts, and also in addressing their root causes,” he said.
Ramaphosa should be commended for telling the international order that the days of treating Africa contemptuously are over. African leaders should join Ramaphosa in his quest for Africa to have a seat at the table, to destabilise the status quo. The motto: ‘Nothing about us without us’ should be the rallying call going forward.
The UNSC, whose stated objective is to maintain international peace and security, has five permanent member states including the US, France, UK, China and Russia. The 10 non-permanent members are Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Switzerland.
While the council is mandated to mediate between warring parties to settle their disputes amicably, in some cases it can resort to imposing sanctions or even “authorise the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security”.
As a way of example, on March 17 2011 the UNSC approved Resolution 1973, which – as we all know – led to global powers including the US, France, UK and other powerful nations launching aerial bombing raids in Libya that toppled the government and ultimately led to Muammar Gaddafi’s death.
Political actors and critics have long argued that the UNSC bullies weaker nations and that in most conflicts it gets entangled in, it leaves behind sheer hopelessness, abject poverty, despair and deferred dreams.
It was probably with this in mind that Ramaphosa reminded his peers that achieving and maintaining peace and security requires the “collective will of the community of nations”.
“It requires that the UN Security Council is representative and inclusive. Seventy-eight years since its formation, the structure of the UN Security Council remains largely unchanged,” Ramaphosa said.
“Africa and its 1.4-billion people remain excluded from its key decision-making structures. The Security Council has not fulfilled its mandate to maintain international peace and security.”
Ramaphosa said the UNSC must be reformed as a matter of urgency. “It must become more inclusive so that the voices of all nations are heard and considered. Africa stands ready to play its part in building a safer global order.”
The SA president noted that the African Union (AU) and its member states are engaged in mediation, dialogue, and diplomacy across the continent, to create conditions under which peace and development can take hold.
“There must be greater collaboration between the AU and the UN towards resolving these conflicts, and also in addressing their root causes,” he said.
Ramaphosa should be commended for telling the international order that the days of treating Africa contemptuously are over. African leaders should join Ramaphosa in his quest for Africa to have a seat at the table, to destabilise the status quo. The motto: ‘Nothing about us without us’ should be the rallying call going forward.
Comments
Post a Comment