Effective Multilateralism through the Defence…

As it operates within a multilateral system facing the greatest strain since the Organization was created nearly 80 years ago, the international community must recommit to its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council today during a day-long open debate on effective multilateralism.

Tensions between major Powers are at a historic high, he pointed out, and effective multilateral responses are urgently needed to prevent and resolve conflicts, manage economic uncertainty, rescue the Sustainable Development Goals, and counter challenges to global norms against the use and possession of nuclear weapons.

While heartened by progress, such as a binding treaty on conservation and the sustainable use of marine biological diversity and the General Assembly’s recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the international community needs to “do better, go further and work faster”.  

In the ensuing debate, many Council members repeated their pleas for long-awaited reforms, with some even questioning the viability of a multilateral system that still reflects the balance of power in 1945.