The broken promise of 1945: Global South’s rise at the UN and demand for new world (I)
When the United Nations was born on October 24, 1945, the world was still burying its dead. Seventy million people had perished in a war that had reduced entire continents to rubble, and the men who gathered in San Francisco to sign the Charter understood that they were engaged in an act of desperate hope. […]
The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945, in the aftermath of a devastating global conflict that claimed the lives of seventy million people. The founders of the organization drafted a bold pledge to prevent future wars, uphold human rights, and ensure that both large and small nations were treated equally. However, these lofty ideals have not been fulfilled, and in 2025, the 81st General Assembly sought to hold the organization accountable for its failures.
The UN's achievements are significant, having prevented another world war, fostering dialogue during the Cold War, and supporting decolonization efforts. Yet, the architecture of the organization remains deeply flawed. The Security Council, composed of five permanent members with veto power, was designed to protect the interests of the victors of World War II. This arrangement has given those nations an unassailable ability to obstruct any resolution, regardless of the global consensus.
The consequences of this veto power have been dire. During the Cold War, the Council was unable to act as the Soviet Union suppressed Hungary, while the United States and Soviet Union fought in Vietnam and Afghanistan. In 1994, as nearly a million Tutsi and moderate Hutu were killed in Rwanda over a hundred days, the Council debated the definition of genocide and refused to intervene, with the United States actively preventing a robust peacekeeping force.
In 2003, the United States and the United Kingdom launched an unapproved war against Iraq, with Secretary-General Kofi Annan deeming the action "illegal." The ongoing conflict in Syria is another example of the veto's power, with Russia blocking resolutions while the Assad regime has gassed its own people.
At the 81st General Assembly, African nations made their grievances clear, demanding a more equitable global order. Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva lamented the UN's drift towards irrelevance and called for a financial system that prioritizes people over profits. Kenya's President William Ruto emphasized Africa's significant population and lack of permanent representation on the Security Council.
Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo underscored the need for a global order based on justice, equity, and mutual respect, while Nigeria's Vice President stressed the necessity of multilateralism grounded in equity rather than perpetuating an unjust system.
Yet, the African leaders did not stop at institutional reform; they addressed critical issues facing their continent. Niger's Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine delivered a resolute speech, demanding sovereignty over its uranium resources and vowing never again to submit control of its assets to foreign powers. Niger had recently regained control of SOMAÏR, symbolizing the continent's renewed determination for self-determination.
These speeches revealed the UN's broken promises and the urgent need for reform that places the needs of the Global South at the forefront of global governance.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- From India to Global South, a Gujarat water-governance model indianexpress.com
