NEW YORK CITY: The UN system must be reformed to create a fairer and more equitable world order, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Monday.
Addressing the UN at its headquarters in New York City, Prince Faisal bin Farhan warned that international institutions are “unfit for purpose,” as demonstrated by the UN’s inability to hold Israel accountable for “all the atrocities it has committed.”
He was speaking a day after UN member states voted to adopt the “Pact for the Future,” a campaign to bring multilateralism “back from the brink” and galvanize support for achieving the organization’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Saudi Arabia “spared no effort” in taking part in negotiations over the pact, he said, thanking attendees for their cooperation during intense debate over the outcome document.
“We did this because we’re convinced that we need to do everything to build a better world, a greener world,” he added.
“We must also promote multilateralism so as to effectively confront today’s challenges and future challenges, achieving peace and security for the benefit of future generations.”
The pact is “aligned with fundamental principles,” Prince Faisal said, adding that achieving its objectives requires a “doubling of efforts to confront the various challenges and meet the needs of people all over the world.”
He added: “This pact marks a qualitative step forward in multilateral action. It promises a fair and equitable world order, a world order which promotes the implementation of the SDGs and meets the needs of all states, specifically developing countries.
“It’s a pact which calls for the closing of the digital gap, and which also promotes economic development in developing countries.”
Saudi Arabia has been working intensely to strengthen multilateral cooperation, but achieving a brighter future demands UN reform, Prince Faisal said.
As part of the “pressing matter,” the UN must be reconstructed to shoulder its responsibility in upholding international peace and security, he added.
On climate change, Saudi Arabia is “committed to a diversified approach that is context specific and tailored to the capacities of each and every country,” he said.
Energy security, economic development and mitigation of the effects of climate change are the three pillars that offer a solution to the challenge, Prince Faisal added.
“We need to ensure that our commitments enshrined in the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) are upheld,” he said.
“We’ll be welcoming the next meeting of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. This will be the 30th anniversary meeting of parties to the convention.”
Saudi Arabia, which is “committed to meeting the SDGs” and the objectives of the “Pact of the Future,” will “make every effort to bolster cooperation,” Prince Faisal said.
“We hope that our collective efforts will allow us to uphold various values such as sovereignty, and to build a better future for current and future generations.”
