President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday (24) that, in an attempt to solve the planet’s problems, world leaders are going around in circles and achieving inefficient results. When opening the debate of the heads of state at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UN) in New York, Lula commented on the Pact for the Future, a document adopted by countries to strengthen global cooperation:
“Its difficult approval demonstrates the weakening of our collective capacity for negotiation and dialogue. Its limited scope is also an expression of the paradox of our time: we go around in circles between possible compromises that lead to insufficient results,” said Lula.
“Not even with the tragedy of COVID-19 were we able to unite around a Treaty on Pandemics at the World Health Organization. We need to go much further and provide the UN with the necessary means to face the changes in the international panorama,” added the president.
For Lula, the crisis in global governance requires structural transformations and this mission falls to the General Assembly, “the greatest expression of multilateralism”. According to him, who is about to turn 80, the United Nations Charter has never undergone a comprehensive reform. When the UN was founded, there were 51 countries; today there are 193.
“The current version of the Charter does not address some of humanity’s most pressing challenges”, said Lula, citing the various armed conflicts that exist in the world, “with the potential to become widespread confrontations”.
According to the Brazilian president, when the UM was created, several nations, mainly on the African continent, were under colonial rule and “had no say in its objectives and operations.” Lula also believes that there is no gender balance in the highest positions and the position of secretary-general has never been held by a woman.
“We are reaching the end of the first quarter of the 21st century with the United Nations increasingly empty and paralyzed. Specific adjustments are not enough; we need to contemplate a broad review of the Charter,” he said.
For Lula, reform of the UN Security Council is urgent, to include adequate representation of emerging countries. Today, this council, which has the power to make important decisions on international conflicts, only has the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom as permanent members. According to the rules, for a resolution to be approved, it needs the support of nine of the total 15 members, and none of the permanent members can veto the text.
“The exclusion of Latin America and Africa from permanent seats in the Security Council is an unacceptable echo of practices of domination from the colonial past,” said the Brazilian.
This is the ninth time that President Lula has opened the general debate of heads of state. During his two previous terms, he participated in the event every year between 2003 and 2009. In 2010, he was represented by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and current special advisor to the Presidency, Celso Amorim. Last year, in his third term, Lula also opened the debate session.
Source: Agência Brasil