Reinventing the UN: Challenges and Calls for Change at the High-Level Week

2023-09-23 13:02:30

The United Nations high-level week ends with an observation: the world and its balances have changed and the UN General Assembly is perhaps no longer a privileged place to address geopolitical challenges. But “this is the only place where 193 states can still come together and think regarding reinventing themselves,” declared Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib as she concluded her mission to New York.

“We end the week with a record 35 bilateral meetings and events organized or co-chaired“, declared the minister, all smiles during a moment of celebration with the Foreign Affairs team on Friday evening.

Oman, Jordan, Turkey, the Palestinian Authority, the United Arab Emirates, Angola, Burundi, the DRC, Algeria… The minister met countries from all walks of life. “This high-level week allows us to meet all the counterparts with whom we need to speak, and to forge coalitions with those we don’t see much. This would require weeks or even months of traveling abroad“, indicated the minister.

Criticism of the Belgian delegation

Critics had targeted the large number of federal government ministers who made the trip – in addition to Hadja Lahbib, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, the Minister of Economy and Employment, Pierre-Yves Dermagne, the Minister of Cooperation for development, Caroline Gennez, and the Minister of Justice and the North Sea, Vincent Van Quickenborne, were present.

Notable absentees

Only one leader of the UN Security Council member states was present this week, namely US President Joe Biden. French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the leaders of China, Xi Jinping, Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Britain, Rishi Sunak, were conspicuous by their absence. “We can read that the high-level week is perhaps no longer the ideal place to address geopolitical challenges. It is true that the Security Council is weakened by one of its members (Russia, Editor’s note), which paralyzes discussions on Ukraine or the Middle East.“, commented Ms. Lahbib, recalling that the Russian veto prevented this body from bringing the crime of aggression once morest Ukraine before the International Criminal Court. The minister also pleaded for the creation of a special international tribunal this week .

We must hear the countries that feel they do not have their place

The UN is also criticized by countries from the South, who say they are not sufficiently heard. “The world has changed since 1945, when the UN was created. There are new challenges and the UN must reinvent itself, it’s a reality“, said Ms. Lahbib. “We need to listen to the countries that feel they don’t have their place.”

Should we bring other countries into the Security Council, which bears the main responsibility for maintaining international peace and security? Should we reform the right of veto within this body? “It is not up to Belgium to position itself“, replied the minister, adding that meetings with “small countries“constituted a”signal that they have a voice“.

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