Canada Isolated in Security Council Debate on Effective Multilateralism
Under the chairmanship of the Russian Federation, the 9,308th session of the UN Security Council was held on April 24 with an agenda on the theme "Maintenance of International Peace and Security; Effective Multilateralism Through the Defence of the Principles of the Charter of the United Nations." The main feature which stood out in this UNSC debate was the active role played by many UN member states fighting to uphold and modernize the principles embodied in the UN Charter. Canada, on the other hand, put on a pathetic infantile performance by repeating worn out false ideological beliefs (FIBs) and not even remotely addressing the concrete reality facing the United Nations and the world.
Canada's
Ambassador Bob Rae, in lockstep with the U.S., said the Russian
Federation believes that it is a faithful defender of the principles of
the UN Charter, and at the same time, it believes that "it can tear
those very principles to shreds whenever and wherever it pleases --
whether in Ukraine, Syria or in Russia, against its very own people."
The Russian Federation, he said, operates as if it is above the law. He
touted the illegal and frivolous arrest warrant issued by the
International Criminal Court of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the
alleged massive, forced deportation of Ukrainian children since
February 2022 saying it "demonstrates that no one is above the law."
According to Rae, the world is facing such a steep deterioration in
global security because Russia launched a full-scale invasion and war
of aggression against Ukraine (not because of the U.S. War on Terror
and all the crimes of aggression and sanctions and violations of
international law and
human rights it has committed with its coalition of willing and
unwilling in tow). He said that "despite protesting the 'might is
right' principle, Moscow does just that in Ukraine." Moreover, it "has
used its veto powers to block actions to maintain international peace
and security," he said.
Further confounding the truth, Rae said that "Russia's actions are
costing the wider world dearly."
The UN News Agency says Rae noted that
"food and energy prices have spiked, and global markets have been
rattled." No mention whatever of the speculators the U.S. is harbouring
or the food and other
oligopolies conniving to raise supermarket and other prices. Carrying
on the U.S./NATO mantra that some countries by defending the principle
of their sovereignty are violating human rights, Rae said it is
important that the Charter is read as a whole, and not selectively
adding that the Charter
fully embraces human rights, gender equality and the need for social
solidarity and economic development. He should perhaps follow his own
advice but his intention was revealed when he added, "It is not simply
a celebration of national sovereignty. We have no nostalgia for a world
divided up by
'spheres of influence' or power blocs."
According to his logic, if everyone rolls over and submits to whatever the U.S. says and wants the world will not be divided up by "spheres of influence." There will be only U.S. interests and nobody else's. Rae's reasoning is very pathetic and infantile and does not address the matter at hand. Namely, how to sort out differences through peaceful means. This would necessarily mean rejecting how the U.S. (and its allies) resorts to the use of force, threats, brinkmanship and provocations to gauge the strength of its opponents and ascertain what weapons it will deploy against them. The "white man's" arrogance of the likes of U.S. and Canada, for which Rae is a mouthpiece at the UN, is beneath contempt. It stems from refusal to discuss anything with either the people of Canada or with the member states of the UN.
The Russian Federation, in accordance with Rule 37 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure in the Security Council, invited the representatives of the following countries to take part in this debate: Australia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Belarus, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Vietnam, Egypt, India, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Kuwait, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Syrian Arab Republic, Sierra Leone, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uruguay, the Philippines, Ethiopia and South Africa.
Speaking for the Russian Federation, Foreign Minister Lavrov began by saying the defeat of Nazi Germany "made it possible to lay the foundation for the post-war international order. Legally, it was based on the UN Charter while the UN that embodied true multilateralism acquired a central, coordinating role in world politics." Today, he said, "our UN-centric system is going through a deep crisis." The main reason is a striving by some UN members to replace international law and the UN Charter with a certain rules-based order," he said, adding that this is being "used to counter the continued development of new independent development centres that objectively embody multilateralism."
Lavrov cited many well known examples to illustrate his point from illegal unilateral measures such as sanctions to deny countries access to modern technology and financial services, exclude them from supply chains, seize their property, destroy their critical infrastructure and so forth. He said that the U.S., with its "summits for democracy, Global Partnership on AI, Media Freedom Coalition and the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace" deliberately thwarts discussions on such matters under the auspices of the UN in order to impose non-consensual concepts and self serving solutions. "By imposing a rules-based order, the quarters behind it arrogantly reject the UN Charter's key principle which is the sovereign equality of states," he said. He referred to the arrogant statement by the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell to the effect that Europe is a "garden" and the rest of the world is a "jungle" saying it reflected "their world of exceptionality."
Many members repeated their "pleas for long-awaited reforms with some even questioning the viability of a multilateral system that still reflects the balance of power in 1945." Brazil, for example, said the Council's current composition is not compatible with current geopolitical realities as the African continent and his own region, Latin America and the Caribbean, are not represented as permanent members.
India questioned whether the Council is collectively aware of the inadequacies of a multilateral system that has failed to respond to contemporary challenges, whether it is the COVID-19 pandemic or the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The representative of India asked whether "effective multilateralism" can be practiced by defending a Charter that makes five nations more equal than others and gives each of the five the power to ignore the collective will of the remaining 188 Member States.
Several delegates criticized the expanding use of unilateral coercive measures, and other selective uses of international law, as serious threats to international cooperation, peace and security. The representative of Iran, for example, said these measures are a concerning example of harmful unilateral acts that run counter to the fundamental principles of international law, the Charter and basic human rights. "These illegal measures have far-reaching humanitarian consequences and can undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving disputes and promoting cooperation," he said.
Venezuela's delegate spoke on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations. He noted ongoing attempts to divide the world into blocs, with a growing resort to unilateralism in the illegal application of unilateral coercive measures against more than 30 countries. These so-called sanctions, a new form of domination and neo-colonialism, have become the preferred tool of certain governments to exert pressure while generating untold suffering on entire peoples. The solution to today's new and complex challenges requires the strengthening and revitalization of an inclusive multilateralism in which all countries, big or small, are engaged.
Gerardo Peñalver Portal, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, said a wholesale transformation of the UN is urgently needed for an international democratic order that is just, equitable and respects the sovereign equality of states. He called for the immediate cessation of unilateral coercive measures and spurious and arbitrary lists, such as that of states allegedly sponsoring terrorism, stressing that those lists run counter to international law. The world needs solidarity, cooperation and mutual respect, not blockades or sanctions.
Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Minister for State of the United Arab Emirates, stressed that "Status quo structures will not move us beyond the status quo," and decisions need to be made with vulnerable countries not only in mind, but at the table – including the emerging discussions on reforming international financial institutions to better deliver for the Global South.
Hermann Immobgault, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Gabon, pointing to a crisis of international solidarity, said Africa occupies almost 70 per cent of the Council's agenda today yet holds no permanent seat in that decision-making body. The Council must be reformed to make it representative of today's realities and able to effectively respond to current and future challenges.
Zhang Jun, representing China, said the Charter is the cornerstone of the post-war international order -- enshrining respect for territorial sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of others. Global problems are arising because its purposes and principles are not implemented. The international community must avoid exclusive cliquish circles that fabricate authoritarian narratives and provoke geopolitical confrontation. Calling for the international order to be underpinned by international law, he voiced opposition over how some states distort its meaning, imposing their will, wantonly violating the legitimate rights of other countries, and belittling international agreements. A multipolar world is becoming a reality, he said, stressing that developing countries, especially in Africa, deserve a greater role in the United Nations, including in decision-making. Unilateral sanctions must be resisted, including those imposed by the United States and other countries outside the Council who used such tools to preserve their hegemony. "Sanctions are like a rampaging monster," he observed, violating basic rights and hindering the development of small- and medium-sized States. Urging the relevant countries to immediately halt them, he noted that China adheres to genuine multilateralism at all times.
Juan Gómez Robledo Verduzco of Mexico said that "the international community is currently facing the collapse of certain collective security systems upon which the United Nations is built" citing military invasions of sovereign countries (note – he did not limit this to the current developments in Ukraine), acts of aggression, "the frequent invocations of self-defence against non-state actors" (i.e., remarks which could be readily applied to the U.S./NATO war on Libya, U.S. occupation of parts of Syria, the U.S./NATO 20-year war on Afghanistan).
Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud of Egypt said that there has been "backsliding" on several key principles at the heart of the UN, including attempts to interfere in states' internal affairs and the monopolization of decision-making without consulting concerned states, particularly those in Africa. Further, there have been double standards on several files, attempts by certain states to politicize international fora – which has undermined their ability to act, along with international trade – and attempts by some to attribute greater importance to the actions of non-state actors. On that point, he underscored that, if certain non-state actors have the opportunity to play a positive role in some files, this does not mean that they can replace or compete with states in these areas. Reform of the international multilateral system, he said, must be based on reverting to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations; improving global economic governance, including the Bretton Woods institutions; re-examining the system of collective security by allowing various regions to play their appropriate role; and correcting historic injustices present in the Council according to the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
Munir Akram of Pakistan rejected a unipolar, bipolar or even so-called "multipolar" world dominated by a few large and powerful states – while also voicing concern at new concepts advanced in some United Nations discussions, such as "multi-stakeholder" and "networked" multilateralism.
Bassam Sabbagh of Syria, associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, called for the continuous and comprehensive review of the UN methods of work and its mechanisms. All Member states must abide by the Charter, international law and established norms of international relations, he stressed, underscoring the need to avoid using methods or terminology that are not consensual, especially the term "rules-based system." Noting an unprecedented increase in the number of non-consensual Assembly resolutions, he pointed out that in many cases a vote is required notwithstanding the differences on the substance and procedures of those resolutions. Pointing to the polarization of the Council by certain member states, he said preserving multilateralism requires, chiefly, expanding the Council to be truly representative of the current political reality.
Dang Hoang Giang of Viet Nam, associating himself with the statement to be made by the Non-Aligned Movement, said that multilateralism faces formidable challenges that threaten cooperation and the international rules-based order. In this context, he reaffirmed the importance of effective multilateralism, based on respect for the United Nations Charter and international law. Further, all disputes must be settled by legal means, and all avenues must be explored to resolve conflicts and attain solutions to security issues. Multilateralism must be based on goodwill, mutual understanding and cooperation.
For its part, the U.S., represented by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, presented itself as the champion of the principles of the UN Charter and Russia as the so-called aggressor against Ukraine as the violator of UN principles and the rule of Law. Her presentation was in the vein of Bob Rae's who in any case, takes his cue from the U.S. mantra. The countries stood accused by all others and when they spoke, they proved the point in spades.
This article was published in
Volume 53 Number 5 - May 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/M530056.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca