On May 26, China chaired the 10,159th meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with the topic of rededicating the entire UN to its founding principles in order to end wars and prevent human suffering. The meeting was titled, “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-Centered International System”. Especially those from the Global South see the UN as a tool for peace and dialogue, while some Western nations have different priorities. Several representatives from African nations spoke of the need for Africa to have at least two permanent seats at the UNSC.
The Pakistani representative made the point that the entire world agreed to the founding principles of the UN Charter, and said that, despite all of our differences, “the UN Charter remains our common language for peace.” The representative from Panama said that to seek peace is not a sign of weakness, but rather a turn to the rule of reason. Several speakers, including UN Secretary General António Guterres, said that there is no peace without development, and there is no development without peace.
Several countries stated that the only difference between a world ruled by law and a world ruled by brute force is the UN Charter. Czechia’s representative said that without the United Nations, smaller countries would not have a place at the table, but would instead find themselves on the menu. This representative warned that if any country believes that they have a right to act unilaterally, history shows us that this thinking always ends in catastrophe. Thailand’s representative said that World War II showed us that unlimited competition between great powers leads to insecurity for all. The speaker from Bahrain said that the current Iran War will cost trillions of dollars to the world economy.
