Saturday, April 11, 2015

Zimbabwe President Mugabe Says UN Circus Must End
April 11, 2015
Mabasa Sasa recently in TSHWANE, South Africa
Zimbabwe Herald

African Union and sadc Chair President Mugabe has rallied people in the Developing World to unite in the face of the United States’ increasingly unipolar approach to international affairs, and to demand a reform of the United Nations system ahead of the world body’s 70th anniversary.

He said a reckless, merciless and brutal West had turned the UN into a circus.

South African President Jacob Zuma made the same sentiments clear as the two addressed the media in Tshwane on Wednesday after wide-ranging talks of mutual concern as well as those affecting developing countries in general.

President Mugabe said he did not understand how Developing World countries could be so foolish as to allow the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (the P5) to continue to veto the decisions of the afar larger General Assembly.

He did, however, point out that two of the P5 — China and Russia — were supportive of a reform to the system and that the onus lay on developing countries to unite around a common position that engendered greater democracy in the international governance system.

Such a position, for Africa at least, already exists by way of the 2005 Ezulwini Consensus.

“Can’t we bind ourselves together and say we want a UN where there is participation by everybody and recognition of each country as an equal member?” President Mugabe asked.

“We want a political environment in which we are not interfered with by outsiders and we become masters of ourselves in Africa. We don’t think we are getting a fair deal at the United Nations. The five countries there who are permanent members . . . control the entire system.”

President Mugabe said three P5 states — the US, Britain and France— were dragging the world into war and could only be stopped through concerted action.

“They disturb the Arab world and leave (it) torn apart. Look at what they did to Libya,” he said, while also highlighting the legacy of bloodshed and instability these countries had left in Iraq.

President Zuma also spoke on the urgent need for a reform of how the international governance system functions.

He said, “We also deliberated on the global and multilateral matters of interest and concern, especially the need for the reform of the United Nations Security Council as we head towards the 70th anniversary of the United Nations this year.”

The Ezulwini Consensus of AU members demands that Africa be fully represented in all decision-making organs of the UN. Full representation of Africa in the Security Council means: (i)not less than two permanent seats with all the prerogatives and privileges of permanent membership including the right of veto; (ii) five non-permanent seats.

In that regard, even though Africa is opposed in principle to the veto, it is of the view that so long as it exists, and as a matter of common justice, it should be made available to all permanent members of the Security Council, the resolution says.

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