Foreign Minister participates in forum marking UN Charter anniversary

Manama

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, participated in a virtual high-level forum, organized by Singapore and the Elders Foundation, in cooperation with the United Nations to mark the 75th anniversary of the UN Charter, under the theme: “The UN Charter at 75: Multilateralism in a Fragmented World”

In his statement, the minister thanked Singapore, the Elders and the United Nations for organizing the conference to mark the 75th anniversary of the UN Charter and examine the challenges facing the United Nations and pluralism in general during these unprecedented times.

He said that recent pluralism - particularly in the globalization of the past two decades - has taken place without much public debate or advocacy, noting that while it is relatively easy to make a case against an interdependent, multilateral, globalized world, the positive aspects have only been felt incrementally, in small steps, and without the benefits being fully and publicly highlighted.

Al Zayani added that the huge global challenges that occurred 75 years ago created a clear momentum that contributed to the establishment of the United Nations and a global multilateral system at a time the need for such a system and its benefits was clear, but in recent decades, "unconscious multilateralism" has prevailed.

What we need today is a more conscious multilateralism than the specific reforms of individual institutions and systems, where everyone clearly sees the benefits of voluntary cooperation and interdependence among sovereign states, he added.

He described the coronavirus pandemic as both a challenge and an opportunity because on the one hand it is easy for nations to retreat from the world, to close borders, to compete against one another for medicines and equipment, and to cast blame or condemnation on other states for their response.

On the other hand, he explained, the pandemic is an opportunity  not only because it has shown the value of cooperation on issues such as vaccines and treatments, but also because it has shone a light on just how interconnected our world already is and how much every nation depends on others.

Al Zayani said that regions can set an example, with an open and sincere call for the benefits of multilateralism and interdependence at the regional level, noting that in areas such as the Middle East, like-minded nations might set out a clear, ambitious, yet realistic vision of how such cooperation can deliver peace and prosperity - drawing on the experience of other regions to outline the institutions, frameworks and networks of interdependence, and underlining the benefits to both individual nations and the region.

He pointed out the importance of clarity of the anticipated benefits for states, and that membership in this gathering is conditional on respecting certain principles and values, to become a motivation for countries to be active parties building the necessary trust and cooperation to reach real security and lasting prosperity.

He said that effective regional cooperation is an essential component of pluralism, as stipulated in Chapter 8 of the UN Charter being celebrated today, expressing his conviction that multilateralism could not succeed if there was a vacuum between individual nations and global bodies. He stressed that the regional dimension could play a key role in overcoming the challenges and maximizing the benefits of multilateral cooperation.