President Akufo-Addo Accuses Global Powers of Double Standards at UN
Calls for Urgent Reforms in Multilateral Institutions and Criticizes UN Security Council’s Lack of Representation
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana, in his address at the United Nations General Assembly, accused global powers of employing double standards in their dealings at the international organization. He criticized world leaders for prioritizing their ‘biased interests’ over international peace and inclusive development. “The big powers of the United Nations might be preaching democracy, fairness, and justice around the world but are happy to practice the opposite here at the United Nations, prioritizing parochial interests over those of humanity,”
noted the Ghanaian president.
As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Ghana has witnessed a consistent lack of commitment by the permanent members to collaborate for the common good, according to President Akufo-Addo. The permanent members include the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France.
The United Nations is grappling with challenges in promoting its ideals and mechanisms, exacerbated by increasing geopolitical tensions and global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine. President Akufo-Addo pointed out that this situation undermines the organization’s credibility and its ability to fulfill its mandate of ensuring a peaceful world.
During his opening speech at the General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the importance of international cooperation and urged world leaders to unite. He said,
“Our world is becoming unhinged. Geopolitical tensions are rising. Global challenges are mounting. And we seem incapable of coming together to respond.”
Calls for urgent reforms in multilateral institutions, such as the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods institutions (International Monetary Fund and World Bank), have been deliberately overlooked by world leaders, according to President Akufo-Addo.
“The reluctance by the nations that were the major powers at the formation of the organization to agree to any reform to reflect present realities has led to the undermining of the credibility of the United Nations and some of its organs, in particular the Security Council,” the president stated.
He highlighted that the 15-member Security Council, responsible for addressing global security threats, fails to represent many regions of the world. President Akufo-Addo emphasized that it is long overdue to correct the injustice inherent in the current structure and composition of the Security Council, particularly regarding African nations.
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He cautioned global leaders that “the world cannot rebuild trust when the organization that should bind us is seen by many as helping to perpetuate an unfair world order, which is reinforced by an inequitable, dysfunctional global financial architecture.”
Although the United States, China, the European Union, and others have voiced support for reforms in multilateral institutions, concrete actions to implement these changes are still pending.