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Indonesia calls for strengthened multilateral institutions as UN turns 75
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A sign is seen outside the General Assembly Hall at United Nations headquarters during the 75th annual UN General Assembly high-level debate, which is being held mostly virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York, the United States, on Sept. 21. (Reuters/Mike Segar)
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ndonesia’s top diplomat has raised concerns about diminishing faith in the multilateral order, as the United Nations commemorates 75 years since its founding in a largely virtual ceremony convening world leaders.
Overshadowed by the far-reaching impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, which has redefined ways people and nations work and interact with one another, global leaders kicked off the annual summitry of the UN General Assembly this week with a commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary.
At the High-Level Meeting of the UNGA held on Monday, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the anniversary had become a test for the organization to “enhance its relevance and manage the world’s expectations”.
In recent years, multilateral institutions have faced more challenges to their authority as more and more countries begin to favor self-serving policies and look inward at the expense of global multilateral collaboration.
The stakes are even higher as concerted global action seems more necessary than ever, as the current COVID-19 crisis illustrates.
“Countries increasingly have higher expectations [for] the UN to strengthen collective global leadership and deliver concrete results. Yet, multilateral institutions are increasingly struggling to respond, leading to weakening trust in multilateralism,” Retno said, according to a circulated transcript.
“We cannot allow this to persist. Without multilateralism, ‘the mighty takes all’ will prevail,” she said during the meeting.
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While existing multilateral platforms such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have had their limits and shortcomings exposed, observers have also noted that uncoordinated, unilateral actions are unlikely to be able to address the global repercussions of the pandemic.
Retno said the UN system must now deliver more than rhetoric and that its programs going forward must be meaningful and impactful.
“In addressing the pandemic for the short term, facilitating access to affordable medication and vaccines for all is crucial. The UN must also synergize with other international institutions to accelerate global economic recovery,” she said.
In the longer term, the UN should then work toward building global economic resilience and strengthening the global health system.
The call to strengthen the multilateral order was not only raised by the Indonesian foreign minister, but the majority of world leaders who took part in the virtual assembly.
In his remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the world had a surplus of multilateral challenges and a deficit of multilateral solutions.
“In an interconnected world, we need a networked multilateralism, in which the United Nations family, international financial institutions, regional organizations, trading blocs and others work together more closely and more effectively,” Guterres said.
According to a global online survey collated by the UN, the majority of respondents are asking the international community to prioritize universal access to health care to recover better from the pandemic. Just over 1 million people globally have taken part in the ongoing survey as of Tuesday.
Monday’s meeting also saw the adoption of a declaration in commemoration of the UN anniversary, which sets out an action-oriented global commitment to promote peace and build stronger trust among nations, advance an inclusive sustainable development, promote adherence to international law and human rights values, including women’s empowerment, financing for development and digital cooperation.
The meeting was held as part of the UNGA’s High-Level Week that is to be held until Oct. 2.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is expected to deliver a prerecorded address during the UNGA's general debate session early on Wednesday in Jakarta.
Because of COVID-19, this year’s UN meetings are being held in a hybrid arrangement, where only representatives of countries based in the United States participate in physical meetings at the UN headquarters. Other delegates, including world leaders, will attend the meetings virtually.
However, the event itself appears to have been snubbed by US President Donald Trump, as the mercurial leader was replaced by acting deputy US ambassador to the UN, Cherith Norman Chalet, to deliver remarks as the first speaker of the event.
Read also: Trump lashes China as UN warns against 'Cold War'
"The United Nations has for too long been resistant to meaningful reform, too often lacking in transparency, and too vulnerable to the agenda of autocratic regimes and dictatorships," Chalet said, as quoted by Reuters.
The US under Trump has been one of the countries that have challenged the multilateral order, having pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement and terminated its membership of the WHO, among other things. On the other end of the spectrum, China has led a charm offensive championing global collaboration, despite largely Western concerns about its antiliberal bent.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has given an assurance that his country will continue to follow the multilateral path and actively engage in reforming and developing the global governance system.
“[China] will firmly uphold the UN-centered international system, firmly uphold the international order underpinned by international law, and firmly defend the UN's central role in international affairs,” Xi said in his remarks published on the Chinese foreign ministry’s website.
