Brunei Supports UN Reform: Prince Mohamed Addresses World Body

New York - Brunei strongly supported work on United Nations Security Council reform following divisions within the Council that has left a legacy of bitterness.

His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in his address at the 58th Session of the United Nations General Assembly late last night, highlighted the urgent need for reform “to bring in the changes that are necessary if we are to evolve in the times in which we live”.

As the UN operates now, many observers and even many nation states feel that the actual members of this organisation are too weak to act effectively in solving the great affairs of the day, said the Prince.

“It is claimed that international affairs are now beyond the control of individual nations. They are global: global finance; global economics; global development; global poverty; global crime; and of course global terrorism.

“Consequently, some voices declare, an assembly of individual nations, many of them small developing nations, has no power to address such matters.

“That is a depressing scenario and, of course, none of us here really want to believe it. But it does have one merit. It forces us to examine what the United Nations can actually do most effectively and what it can realistically achieve,” said His Royal Highness.

“Since 1992, this assembly has been debating specific reforms. These reforms have the support of a large majority here, including all members of the Non-Aligned Movement.

“The results of our failure to build on this support and bring about mush-needed reform can now be clearly seen. Our Security Council has been gravely divided and the past year has left a legacy of bitterness.

“The consequences for the ordinary people we represent, the people of developing nations year after year, the people of Iraq for the past ten years or more and the citizens of Palestine for over half a century have been ever more disastrous.

“In all this time, members have been well aware of the need for decision-making at the United Nations to be more inclusive and for resolutions that reflect the international justice our charter stands for to be acted upon.

“They have affirmed their wish for the United Nations to be truly multilateral. On many occasions, they have expressed the desire that the organisation reflect today’s world rather than world of half a century ago. They wish to feel truly part of the decisions it makes,” the Prince said.

The important task at hand, said the Prince, is to restore belief in the United Nations’ ability to act on ordinary people’s behalf.

“On the hand, the great world institutions are technically multilateral. They are run by the governments of the world. Yet, in fact, many of these governments feel excluded from the most important decisions and beyond them, many interested parties feel that they are also on the outside.

“Multilateralism, in other words, appears to have its limits. Beyond them, it seems the stronger nations take over. This basic division, we hope, Mr President, can be brought to an end,” said the Prince.

HRH said that he shared the secretary-general’s optimism over the need for Security Council reform and added “that feeling can only be maintained if agreement on reform of the whole UN system is a real possibility”.

“The divisions we have seen this year, however, suggest that we cannot keep postponing change. They offer a test of weather the United Nations is indeed capable of evolving. That test must be passed.

“So, we continue to support work on Security Council reform and offer our strong encouragement to the Secretary-General in the wider proposals he outlined last week,” said the Prince.

HRH also said that Brunei continues to maintain its belief in the principles of nationhood and multilateral decision-making in spite of many disappointments in the past year, particularly here in the United Nations and earlier this month at the World Trade Organisation.

“We feel that they are the only basis upon which international affairs can be conducted fairly. They apply to all the great political and economic organisations of which we are members and we especially look to the United Nations to uphold them.

“The reply from too many of our people today would be, we fear, not much.

“This presents a powerful case for reform,” said the Prince.

“So, I feel we must frankly acknowledge our part in the feelings of hopelessness and frustration that are being voiced by ordinary people and indeed by many government,” HRH added.

“In the face of today’s problems, the United Nations must continue to offer powerful reasons for optimism about the future. We believe this calls for a determined and united effort to address the root causes of the anger of all who feel unjustly treated.

“To do this, the United Nations as a whole must be a genuine partnership between nations. It must stand for shared idealism and shared sense of human justice. This is what no other body can do.

“That is what the work of Sergio di Mello and his colleagues was dedicated to. In their memory, and that of all who have given their lives to this organisation, we all need to do a lot better at working together than we have over the past year,” said the Prince.

Earlier HRH had expressed the deepest sympathy of the government and people of Brunei to the families of Sergio di Mello and of all who lost loved ones, colleagues and friends in the attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad. “The attack on them was an attack on us all,” said the Prince and added, “As such, it is condemned by Brunei, as are all other acts of terrorism. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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