Johannesburg, Aug 24 (PTI) Fragmentation is inevitable if the global institutions do not reform in line with the demands of the 21st century and reflect today’s power and economic realities, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.
Addressing the leaders of almost 50 nations at the Africa Dialogue taking place here on the periphery of the 15th BRICS Summit, Guterres said that there is a need for a strengthened multilateral architecture based on the UN Charter and international law.
“For multilateral institutions to remain truly universal, they must reform to reflect today’s power and economic realities. In the absence of such reform, fragmentation is inevitable,” Guterres said.
He said that today the global governance structures reflect yesterday’s world.
“Today’s global governance structures reflect yesterday’s world. They were largely created in the aftermath of World War II when many African countries were still ruled by colonial powers and were not even at the table. This is particularly true of the Security Council of the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions,” he said.
“As the global community moves towards multipolarity, we desperately need – and I have been vigorously advocating for – a strengthened and reformed multilateral architecture based on the UN Charter and international law,” Guterres said.
Guterres said that only multipolarity was not enough to guarantee a peaceful or just global community.
“We are moving towards a multipolar world. But multipolarity in itself is not enough to guarantee a peaceful or just global community. To be a factor of peace, equity, and justice in international relations, multipolarity must be supported by strong and effective multilateral institutions,” he said.
Gueterres’s comments are expected to give a big boost to the repeated call in the Declaration, adopted by the leaders of BRIC at the end of the Summit on Thursday morning, for UN organs, especially the Security Council, to be reformed.
“We cannot afford a world with a divided global economy and financial system; with diverging strategies on technology including artificial intelligence; and with conflicting security frameworks. The IMF estimates that such a fracture could cost 7 per cent of global GDP – a cost that would be disproportionately borne by low-income countries, mainly in Africa,” Guterres said.
“I have come to Johannesburg with a simple message: In a fracturing world overwhelmed by crises – there is simply no alternative to cooperation. We must urgently restore trust and reinvigorate multilateralism for the 21st century. This requires the courage to compromise for the common good. It requires full respect for the UN Charter, international law, universal values, and all human rights – social, cultural, economic, civil, and political. And it requires greater solidarity,” Guterres said, conceding that all this would not be an easy task, but was essential, especially for Africa.
Guterres highlighted that the African continent continues to confront grave injustice.
“The African continent, a historic victim of slavery and colonialism, continues to confront grave injustices. On average, African countries pay four times more for borrowing than the United States and eight times more than the wealthiest European countries. And Africa accounts for just four per cent of global emissions, but is an epicentre of climate chaos,” Guterres said.
The UN Secretary-General proposed two priorities for action and justice.
“First, on the economic front, redesigning today’s outdated, dysfunctional, and unfair global financial architecture is necessary, but it won’t happen overnight. Yet we can – and must – take practical action now,” he said.
Guterres also called for drastically stepping up climate action and climate justice.
“I have put forward a Climate Solidarity Pact in which developed countries provide financial and technical support to help emerging economies – in Africa and beyond – to promote an equitable and just transition to renewable energy,” he said.
Guterres said developed countries must also finally keep their promises to developing countries by meeting the USD 100 billion goal, doubling adaptation finance, replenishing the Green Climate Fund, and operationalizing the loss and damage fund this year.
“As a matter of justice, Africa must be considered a priority in all these efforts,” he said.
Guterres also touched on the impact of new technologies and geopolitical conflict.
“New technologies are raising red flags, without a global architecture to deal with them.
“Geopolitical divides and conflicts are multiplying with profound global implications, especially the impacts from the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” he said. PTI FH RUP RUP
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