Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign EditorAFRICAN leaders have reiterated calls for the reform of the United Nations (UN), with others amplifying calls to remove illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.This was the rallying call as African leaders took to the podium at the UN General Assembly 80th High Level Debate in New York, United States.The reform of the United Nations has over the years been a topical issue with world leaders saying it is inevitable in order to address the challenges facing the world today.Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah used her speech at the United Nations to demand urgent reforms that will give Africa equitable representation on the Security Council.While addressing the UN General Assembly in New York this Wednesday, she warned against using sanctions as tools against Cuba, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.She said the restrictive measures are a violation of the United Nations Charter, ‘perpetuating’ injustice.“We call for an end to the continued illegal economic, financial and commercial embargo imposed on the friendly people of Cuba and removing her from the list of states sponsoring terrorism. We call for an end to the illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe, emerging threats against Venezuela and call for the removal of sanctions and the threats against that country. International law must not be a tool for convenience, but a shield for the most vulnerable,” Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said.Receiving a standing ovation, Kenyan President William Ruto maintained that the global body must reform to ensure its decisions reflect today’s realities in a world fraught with war and the adverse effects of climate change.“Today we meet against a grim global backdrop.
Conflict rages in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and beyond. Climate disasters grow fiercer by the day, inequality deepens, pandemics loom, and technological disruption outpaces governance. Instead of trust, mistrust is spreading.
Instead of solidarity, fragmentation is taking root. In place of hope, anxiety fills our global community. We are living, to borrow from the words of the founders of this institution, not in larger freedom but in growing uncertainty,” he said.“At this moment of turbulence, when we most need a strong United Nations, the organisation faces its deepest crisis in credibility and capacity.
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We must make it fit for purpose, reform its structures, strengthen its mandate, and ensure its decisions reflect today’s realities rather than the geopolitical map of a bygone era. As one of the hosts of the UN headquarters, and the only one in the Global South, Kenya stands ready to do its part to enable the organisation to go through this phase of renewal successfully,” he said.South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for an end to the weaponisation of trade by powerful countries.“Trade is now being used as a weapon against several countries in the world. We must redouble our efforts to strengthen the link between trade and development.
Unilateral trade practices and economic coercion have a detrimental impact on many nations. This includes the economic embargo against Cuba, which has caused untold damage to the country’s economy over the years. This unfair embargo must be lifted, and we want it lifted sooner rather than later,” he emphasised.“In the midst of global trade uncertainty, the African continent is providing a pragmatic example of constructive collaboration and cooperation by using the African Continental Free Trade Area as an engine for sustainable growth and development.
This will, with commitment, become the central pillar of economic cooperation and integration for our continent as part of the effort to build more inclusive economies.”World leaders have converged in New York for the 80th UN General Assembly, which is taking place from 22 September to 30 September under the theme: ‘Together we are better’.The summit brings together world leaders to tackle some of the most pressing global challenges, including armed conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, as well as climate change and setbacks in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. AFRICAN leaders have reiterated calls for the reform of the United Nations (UN), with others amplifying calls to remove illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. This was the rallying call as African leaders took to the podium at the UN General Assembly 80th High Level Debate in New York, United States.
The reform of the United Nations has over the years been a topical issue with world leaders saying it is inevitable in order to address the challenges facing the world today. Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah used her speech at the United Nations to demand urgent reforms that will give Africa equitable representation on the Security Council. While addressing the UN General Assembly in New York this Wednesday, she warned against using sanctions as tools against Cuba, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.
She said the restrictive measures are a violation of the United Nations Charter, ‘perpetuating’ injustice. “We call for an end to the continued illegal economic, financial and commercial embargo imposed on the friendly people of Cuba and removing her from the list of states sponsoring terrorism. International law must not be a tool for convenience, but a shield for the most vulnerable,” Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
Receiving a standing ovation, Kenyan President William Ruto maintained that the global body must reform to ensure its decisions reflect today’s realities in a world fraught with war and the adverse effects of climate change. “Today we meet against a grim global backdrop. We are living, to borrow from the words of the founders of this institution, not in larger freedom but in growing uncertainty,” he said.
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