The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on Friday decried what he described as the “inequalities at the foundations of global power relations”.
Guterres, in a video message to the annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, said a reinvigorated international cooperation was needed to effectively tackle the COVID-19 and other contemporary global challenges.
According to him, the COVID-19 pandemic was proof that the world needed a more effective multilateralism, “with vision, ambition and impact”.
He said that countries could not effectively respond to the crisis by “going back to what was or withdrawing into national shells”.
“I have launched a process to engage with governments, civil society, thought leaders and others, on how we reinvigorate multilateralism.
“We need more international cooperation and stronger international institutions.
“The consultation should address the inequalities at the foundations of global power relations.
“The nations that came out on top more than seven decades ago have refused to contemplate reforms.
“The composition and voting rights in the United Nations Security Council and the boards of the Bretton Woods system are a case in point.
“Many African countries did not even exist as independent states 75 years ago. They deserve their rightful place at the global table,” Guterres said.
The UN Chief emphasised that the developing world must have a much stronger voice in global decision-making for any effort at improving global governance to succeed.
Reforming global governance, according to him, “must be one step toward creating a fairer world that can solve shared problems before they overwhelm us”.
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“We need global governance structures that deliver on critical global public goods, including public health, climate action, sustainable development and peace.
“In addition to more inclusive and equal participation in global institutions, we need a global financial architecture that recognises the need for solidarity in the face of global threats.
“A more inclusive and balanced multilateral trading system will enable developing countries to move up global value chains,” Guterres said.
He urged stronger global cooperation to end illicit financial flows, money-laundering and tax evasion, including through a global consensus to end tax havens.
The Secretary General stressed the need for integration of the principles of sustainable development into financial decision-making.
“Models of consumption and production should respect the rights and dignity of each other, and of future generations.
“Multilateral cooperation should be firmly based on the universal values of community, solidarity, equality and humanity; recognising the fundamental human rights of all and providing opportunities for all.
“None of this is a call for new bureaucracies. We need multilateralism that delivers. 21st century multilateralism must be networked.
“It should link the United Nations family with other global institutions, from International Financial Institutions to regional organisations and trade alliances,” Guterres added.(NAN)
