President Nana Akufo-Addo has urged other Heads of State and governments to urgently request Security Council reforms to align with current trends.
President Akufo-Addo addressed the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations, stating that it is time to rectify the injustice represented by the current structure and composition of the UN Security Council for African nations.
“After serving on the Council at this difficult time in the world, our views on the need for reform have been even more strongly re-asserted.”
He said the UN in its current shape “cannot continue to preach democracy, equality and good governance around the globe; we cannot insist on peace and justice in the world, when our global organisation is seen by the majority of its members and the people of the world as hampered by an unjust and unfair structure.”
President Akufo-Addo expressed disappointment at the fact that African countries, “have witnessed, at first hand, over and over again, that the big powers of the United Nations might be preaching democracy, fairness and justice around the world, but are happy to practice the opposite here at the UN, prioritising parochial interests over those of humanity.”
He noted that although the UN has chalked some successes over the last 78 years of existence, African countries still have to deal with “the reluctance by the nations, organisations and the major powers at the formation of the organisation, to agree to any reform to reflect present realities has led to the undermining of the credibility of the United Nations and some of its organs, in particular the Security Council.”
He recounted his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly, saying “I spoke at length on the need for reform of the United Nations and of the Security Council in particular. “
“I said, then, that the urgent need to reform this Organisation had been talked about and scheduled for a long time, but, somehow, we have never found the courage and the will to execute it. I said, then, that Ghana supports UN Reform, especially of the Security Council, as set out in Africa’s Common Position on UN Reform, based on the Ezulwini Consensus,” he continued.
“If the Assembly has quite properly chosen the rebuilding of trust as critical in restoring stability and prosperity to our world,” “it cannot rebuild that trust when the organisation that should bind us is seen by many as helping to perpetuate an unfair world order, which is reinforced by an inequitable, dysfunctional global financial architecture.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana