Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 24/09/2025 05:04

United Nations at 80

EXACTLY one month from today, on October 24, the UN will mark 80 years since its founding charter came into effect, promising “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” But that anniversary arrives at a moment when the body, whose General Assembly is currently in session, is at a crossroads, with its most fundamental goal in peril. The sharply contrasting assembly addresses delivered on September 23 by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Donald Trump perfectly captured that sense of danger. Brazil’s president warned against “false prophets and oligarchs who exploit fear and monetise hate” and called for “leaders with clear visions, who understand that the international order is not a zero-sum game.” Moments later, America’s leader showed which category he fell into. He attacked the UN’s very purpose. He railed against the idea of immigration, whether lawful or not, telling leaders gathered that allow it, “Your countries are going to hell.” [caption id="attachment_1180068" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. AP Photo -[/caption] Mr Trump’s performance would have been unimaginable from a sitting US president but one generation ago, when countries understood and remained committed to the post-world war resolution to never again allow conditions to deteriorate, to close off forever the possibility of a recurrence of the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust, to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, to establish conditions under which justice and international treaties thrive, and to promote social progress and better standards of life for all on the planet. It says something that China’s Xi Jinping, and not America’s president, a few weeks ago urged, “We should firmly safeguard the status and authority of the UN, and ensure its irreplaceable, key role in global governance.” While Mr Trump has, more than any other leader, brought the UN to its weakest point, ongoing crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and Haiti have inversely elevated the need for the body to its highest level in decades. This country must be among those that reject any worldview that does not give primacy of place to the UN Charter. That would be consistent with our long-standing and profound relationship with the UN. It was there that ANR Robinson in 1990 made a famous call that culminated in the formation of the International Criminal Court. When Dr Keith Rowley addressed the assembly in 2023, he did so while a Trinidadian, Dennis Francis, sat as its president. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who addressed world leaders in New York during her first administration in 2014, will return there on September 26. But this time, she does so at a crucial moment given tensions between the US, Venezuela and the region. Her attendance alone is significant, but more so will be the resolve shown by leaders once the summit is over.   The post United Nations at 80 appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.