The United Nations marked its 75th anniversary on Monday, celebrating the slogan that “multilateralism is not an option but a necessity” – even as the coronavirus pandemic underscores the fragility of international cooperation.
The anniversary of the annual United Nations General Assembly for the world organization began, when the leaders and representatives of nearly 200 countries usually gather together to talk about the world’s problems and offer countless solutions.
Instead, as the COVID-19 virus continues to restrict global movement, only one representative from each of the 193 United Nations members will be permitted, and only one person already in the United States.
Everyone else will have to appear via videoconferencing, including at least 160 heads of state.
Here are the latest updates:
16:00 GMT – Turkish President calls for Security Council reform
Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a “fair representation” international security council.
“In order to empower the United Nations system, we must first reform the Security Council,” Erdogan said, adding that the current structure that leaves the fate of seven billion people at the mercy of the five permanent members of the council is not “just nor”. Sustainable “.
“We cannot overcome today’s challenges through structures tailored to the needs of the last century,” he added.
15:00 GMT – Trump addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday
US President Donald Trump did not address the UN 75th Anniversary event via pre-recorded video address on Monday as expected.
Trump is listed as the first speaker among the member states on the UN agenda for the event. Instead, the deputy US representative to the United Nations, Shereth Norman Chalet, spoke in the General Assembly Hall.
“For the Trump administration, this anniversary is an important moment to celebrate the many successes of the United Nations, but to do so with clear eyes and a renewed determination to see this important body serve its intended purpose,” she said.
James Bayes, Al Jazeera’s diplomatic correspondent, said that “astonishment was raised” by Trump’s lack of rhetoric.
“People are asking whether this is deliberate disdain or an indication of how important the United States feels that the United Nations is on its list of priorities,” he said, speaking from outside the United Nations headquarters in New York.
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14:00 GMT – United Nations Secretary-General calls for international cooperation
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, called for more international cooperation in facing global challenges at an event marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the world organization.
“Today we have an excess of multilateral challenges and a lack of multilateral solutions,” Guterres said.
“Climate catastrophe looms; biodiversity is collapsing; poverty is rising again; hatred is spreading; geopolitical tensions are escalating … and the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the world’s fragility. We can only tackle it together.”
Source:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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