by William M. Reilly
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Member states and regional organisations called for upholding multilateralism with the United Nations at the center on Thursday, the third day of the UN General Assembly's General Debate.
"Multilateralism is a crucial equalizer. It ensures that all have an equal voice under international law and an equal role in shaping our shared future," said Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, adding that the UN Charter remains the common compass. "The UN has a sacred duty to save succeeding generations from this scourge of war."
European Council President Antonio Costa, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said multilateralism is not an ideal of the past, but rather the only realistic way to address the problems of today. "This is why our message is clear: we need multilateralism -- multilateralism that is strong, effective, representative and capable of delivering for people."
"We share the same planet and, ultimately, the same destiny," Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi said, adding that the UN must evolve to meet the moment. "We need more effective, more representative multilateral institutions that are closer to the people and more able to respond to the challenges of our time. We need cooperation. We need solidarity and we also need to demonstrate austerity within these institutions. But above all, we need to restore trust in our collective ability to change things."
"The UN must become an instrument for the future," said President Mohamed Irfaan Ali of Guyana, adding that the Security Council must embrace the "emerging multipolarity of our world, including permanent representation from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean."
"The world has changed and multilateralism must change with it. We need a new and invigorated multilateralism, one equal to the turbulence of our age, sufficiently courageous to confront its trials, sufficiently imaginative to navigate its transformations, and sufficiently principled to defend the rule of international law," said Ali.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said that in face of the challenges in the world today, "the most effective response is a multilateral response, and the UN is, and should be, and should continue to be at the heart of the multilateral system." That is why, he said, Portugal looks to the future with renewed commitment to the mission of the UN.
Jose Manuel Restrepo, vice president of Colombia, speaking on behalf of President Abelardo de la Espriella, said that multilateralism should respect the sovereign equality of states while being capable of acting effectively.
"More trust between States needs to come about," said Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. "We need a UN that is stronger, more representative and more effective. It needs a fairer, more inclusive and more effective multilateralism. Addressing our challenges requires bridges and not walls, dialogue and not confrontation, cooperation and not isolation."
Comorian President Azali Assoumani urged the next leadership of the UN to continue to "embody unity and the renewal of a more credible multilateralism," calling for particular attention to small island and vulnerable States, including making the right to development a pillar of multilateralism by facilitating access to sustainable funding and reducing inequalities globally.
Highlighting how the world's crisis particularly affects small island developing States, Fijian President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu urged the upholding of the UN Charter and its principles, including sovereign equality, territorial integrity and peaceful settlement of disputes. "We choose dialogue over coercion, human dignity over domination and cooperation over confrontation. Fiji calls for the peaceful settlement of conflicts wherever they occur."
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that the United Nations must remain the centrepiece of the multilateral system, while regional institutions such as ASEAN are critical for countries to translate global principles into cooperation suited to local realities.
Charnvirakul also reiterated support for Security Council reform that "gives developing countries and underrepresented regions, particularly in the Global South, a greater role in decision making." ■
