As is the case on September of every year, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is currently ongoing at its headquarters in New York, United States. Under the theme, ‘Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate change and inclusion’, the 74th iteration of the UNGA has seen Heads of State, business leaders, members of academia and philanthropists alike convene at the global center stage with a view to discuss and collaborate on matters hot on the global agenda, for instance poverty, education, climate change and equal opportunities.
UNGA 74 will see world leaders present their views on the global stage through the general debate, and similarly hold multilateral discussions on the side lines – geopolitics at its best, or arguably worst. This presents an opportunity for African leaders to both market and set the tone with respect to Africa’s development Agenda. However, as has been argued on numerous occasions, the prominent question to answer at this stage is whether the UNGA is indeed the appropriate space for Africa to speak out her case. This speaks directly into the UN’s archaic structure which places the voice of some member states as higher than that of others, posing the adage, “All men are equal, but some are more equal than others”.
One prominent criticism of the UN body, is the imbalance of power between UN member states, with the permanent member states of the Security Council, that is UK, US, China, Russia and France having more sway than the reminder member states. Permanent members of the UN Security Council have the power to veto decisions of the Security Council which may range anywhere from sanctions to peacekeeping missions. This power, shared by few but longed for by many, is not only perceived but rather heralded as the source of the power imbalance in the halls of the UN. Through the exercise of this ability, permanent members of the Security Council have through the years protected their own interests and that of their allies with little to no rebuke. Case in point, a UN proposal to intervene in Syria in 2014 was vetoed by Russia, a close ally of Assad’s regime. Similarly, human rights violations conducted by China, including the detainment of approximately one million Muslim citizens, have not been met by UN sanctions either.
This power imbalance in the UN has over the years eroded the UN’s authority, as a global peacekeeping organ that is ideally meant to serve the combined interests of its member states.
On the back of criticisms against the UN’s authority, it is worthwhile for African leaders to consider how best to utilize the visibility of UNGA 74, to reposition Africa in the global context, and similarly avoid being silenced or undercut through the UN’s archaic power structure.
Karen Kandie – MD, IDB Capital
