UN Secretary-General Must be Non-Risk Averse, & Play a More Pivotal and Active Role — Global Issues
NEW YORK, May 10 (IPS) – “No matter what circle of hell we live in, I think we can freely break out of it.” – Jean-Paul Sartre, Preface to the Deutsche Gramaphon recording of Vladimir Putin’s War Against Illegal Violence in Ukraine, launched on 24 February 2022, markedly reduced the rift Cracks of Global Peace and Security. Militarized conflicts, civilian deaths and tens of millions of forced migrants have gone on for decades, with little or no relief for assassination victims.
The war in Ukraine seems to have supplanted other major ongoing wars in Yemen, Ethiopia and Myanmar in the global public’s imagination thanks to the 24/7 news cycle. The primary mission of the United Nations is to ensure the maintenance of Global Peace and Security, which sadly we seem to have, apart from a lot of talk by prominent figures with little or no action. action to deal with the reality of backwardness and carnage on the ground.
Latin motto res, non verba to be thought of – meaning “actions, not words” – as a rather appropriate model for the United Nations to adopt instead of sticking to “business as usual” – which is rather lame. and pathetic to say at least in these trying times.
Secretary-General António Guterres must not leave diplomacy, mediation and negotiations for UN diplomats on the field and even in his own Executive Office – UN-EOSG.
In the current context of world affairs and international relations, it is urgent for the Secretary-General to play a more important and far-reaching active role to uphold the main mandate of the United Nations and ensure the maintenance of the United Nations. Global Peace and Security.
The time to protect the image and status of the UN Secretary-General has come to an end, as has the P-5 Permanent Member States of the UN Security Council being held hostage, who have run all the UN Security Councils. Current and former UN Secretary-General.
Instead of being risk-averse, Secretary-General Guterres must play a much more active and visible role on the global stage and behind the scenes – traveling incessantly to war-torn UN member states to meet often and directly mediate protagonists, using high office and moral character to good effect – to advance United Nations mediation efforts.
Reminiscent of the positive and energetic interventions of one of his predecessors, The late Secretary General Dag Hammarskjoldwho paid the ultimate price along with 15 other UN advisers, bodyguards and crew when their plane was shot down on September 18, 1961, over Northern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.
In today’s geopolitical environment, Secretary-General Guterres cannot be considered one of the last in a long line of diplomats and politicians to visit a war-torn region, as was the case with the His recent visit at the end of April 2022 to Moscow and Kyiv – this is plainly poor optics.
Secretary-General Guterres must use his Executive Office to better effect and the global public needs awareness and support. With the very high stakes involved, he has to be much more proactive towards Ukraine, and all wars and armed conflicts are unfolding in an even fashion – neither fear nor favor.
On the positive side, Secretary General Guterres called the war in Ukraine “evil and unacceptable“And call for justice. However, Guterres’ appeal reached the ears of the deaf in Moscow, proving that Russia launches 5 missiles towards central Kyiv less than an hour after he held a press conference with Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelenskyy.
So, what will be done when a P-5 Permanent Member State of the United Nations Security Council becomes “rogue” – that is, beyond the bounds of civilized, rule-based behavior of a nation-state in the 21st Century in compliance with the principles of Global Peace and Security as protected in the United Nations Charter, the Law of War, the Geneva Conventions, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court – as is the case of Mr. Putin and his government?
Despite the fact that Secretary General Guterres is a former Prime Minister of Portugal, he must demonstrate his independence from the Western powers, and immediately continue his visit to Moscow and Kyiv by visiting Beijing to take advantage of President Xi Jinping’s inconsequentiality. advocates putting pressure on Moscow to end aggression in Ukraine and calls for war.
And while negotiating in Beijing, he must also secure China’s support to pressure the military junta of Tatmadaw Kyi to refuse and restore democracy without delay in Myanmar to aid those people are opposed. Non-confrontational diplomacy is the key to success in Beijing, something Secretary-General Guterres is very adept at, which he should use to good effect assuming that the Chinese are not enemies. combative.
Beijing favors global trade and commerce and promotes its ambitions”Belt and Road Initiative“The global megaproject, is certainly hampered by the war in Ukraine.
After two bloody world wars where tens of millions of people died, no one wanted another large-scale pan-European war, potentially dividing armies and civilians outside of Europe.
In fact, Putin’s aggressive war in Ukraine has world hunger is deepening as the global production, storage and supply of wheat was severely hampered by fighting. The power of the United Nations is reflected power – i.e. the power of leading member states to adhere to a rules-based system of global governance – and that power is something all United Nations Secretary-Generals must harness for the greater good through the arts of diplomacy, mediation and negotiation to maintain Global Peace. and security.
Secretary-General Guterres is urgently called upon to demonstrate his leadership and political acumen in these difficult and tumultuous times, using his moral courage as a beacon to rally global public in support of the mission and mission of the United Nations. The Secretary-General of the United Nations cannot and must not fall into the role of bystander while the belligerents are at work, he/she must lead, at personal expense, without fear nor fear. not favored.
For Secretary General Guterres, a devout Catholic (closer to Pope Francis, an outspoken critic of war), he could not have accomplished this colossal task alone – to raise authority. his morals, he needed to harness the power and voice of civil society along with that of the world Multi-religion – all working together at many levels to maintain Global Peace and Security.
Dr. Purnaka L. de Silva is Professor of United Nations Studies (MA Program) at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University, and Director, Institute for Strategic Studies and Democracy (ISSD) Malta. In March 2022, he received the Seton Hall University Distinguished Teaching Teacher Award, and in December 2021 he was nominated as Foreign Affairs Professor of the Year by the School of Diplomacy and International Affairs. international system.
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