UN must die for relevant body to take birth
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, September 21: The world faced four grave challenges in the recent years, and none of them have yet been over, but the United Nations have been missing in action.
The 77th United Nations General Assembly began on Tuesday in the heavy shadow of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For seven months, the Russian tanks rolled on the Ukrainian soil, while the western countries informally under the umbrella of NATO armed Ukraine for a pushback.
The United Nations, a post-war body, was missing in action to stop the Russian President Vladimir Putin from rampaging war in Ukraine.
Developed countries badly failed the climate action commitment, while they conveniently blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for missing the target for the UN Sustainable Development Goal on climate action.
The climate change has taken the ferocious form, ravaging countries with floods and droughts, making the poor nations vulnerable to acute food crisis.
The Covid-19 pandemic was the gravest challenge to humanity in a century, and the UN had no role in it, while the developed nations stock-piled medicines and vaccines, and China wrecked the humanity by hiding information about the Coronavirus.
Millions of people in Afghanistan live abominable life because the gun-toting thugs have captured the power. The Taliban have proved that the power flows from the barrels of guns, and the 21st century world witnesses dehumanising of women in Afghanistan. The UN had no role in Afghanistan.
The world is facing acute food shortage on account of the climate change and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The UN had no in taking steps to mitigate the food shortage and protect the poor countries. In the void, countries like India and Turkey are seeking to persuade Putin to call off the war in Ukraine.
So, what exactly is the United Nations for, and where does its relevance lie?
The world has moved beyond the immediate time of the Second World War, and the United Nations still remains in the middle of the 20th century.
China has gained extraordinary influence in the multilateral bodies such as the World Health Organisation, World Bank, International Monetary Fund. China was able for decades to carry its vicious debt trap policy and force not less than 60 countries across the world into debt trap. The United Nations was a mute spectator.
The world order in the post-pandemic and post-Russian war in Ukraine would not be same. The UN must die to let a relevant body take shape.