Reflections on the United Nations

I do not believe that a change of regime in a country cancels the commitments to which that state has pledged itself, especially when those commitments are between it and another state or between it and the entire world.

Otherwise, this should be considered a violation that warrants accountability both domestically and internationally.

I also recall George Washington’s speech when he said: “Commitments and agreements must be respected because they are the foundation of trust between nations.”

Likewise, when Obama signed the nuclear agreement with Iran in 2015, he said that it was not an agreement, but a commitment.

By following the work of the United Nations General Assembly, it became clear that the Palestinian delegation was absent from the meetings because the American administration did not allow them to be issued entry visas. This constitutes a clear violation of the 1947 Headquarters Agreement, which stipulates that “the United States is obligated to allow all representatives of the member states to enter its territory to participate in United Nations meetings.”

Despite the absence of the Palestinian delegation, there were major countries that expressed sympathy with the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people, and Netanyahu and his government faced international isolation due to the brutal actions toward the Palestinian people and the withdrawal of many delegations during his speech, in a civilized step toward human rights and the demand for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

Although Antonio Guterres’s speech carried a vision for reform and extensive experience in the field of international politics, he did not condemn this unjust and obstinate action and was content with expressing his concern over depriving any member state of participation.

However, he pointed out that Africa’s absence from the permanent seats of the Security Council was a historical injustice and that the continent bears the most severe consequences of the climate crisis, while calling for fair financing to assist it. He also called for an end to the exploitation of Africa’s resources for the benefit of others and demanded that Africa have an audible voice in major economic decisions.

In reality, this is a fair demand for the African continent, as it does not have a permanent seat on the Security Council, and this is an unfair situation.

The continent should therefore be granted two permanent seats, along with additional non-permanent seats to increase representation. Anything else would contradict the principle of equality among states upon which the United Nations Charter was founded.

Is it reasonable to continue operating under a system dating back to 1945, when most African countries were under colonial rule and were therefore not independent, and consequently did not participate in drafting the United Nations Charter, which has not been amended to this day? The continent has 54 countries, yet it is represented only by three non-permanent seats on a rotating basis.

The issue of the right of veto, which is exclusively reserved for five countries — the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France — must also be considered. These countries possess this right, while 188 other countries have nothing more than an ordinary vote. This weakens the voice of the majority and contradicts the principle of equality.

It is the duty of the peoples of the civilized world to urge their leaders to abandon conflicts, individual passions, and personal interests, and to make just peace among the peoples of the world a primary demand. We must uphold human dignity everywhere so that we may elevate ourselves and advance the values of the world toward civilization and progress, toward a future in which good prevails over evil, peace over war, and freedom over slavery.

Thus, every individual may live in security, and we may teach our children, generation after generation, that there were leaders who spread peace, rejected aggression, and wrote their names in letters of light, to be immortalized by the history books.