President, Adama Barrow, has said “no single country, big or small, can unilaterally tackle the countless challenges confronting the world today.”
He said: “In spite of the bottlenecks, the last 75 years were marked by dramatic advances in Science and Technology, particularly in Information Technology, which continues to generate further advances in many other disciplines,” he said in a statement marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
In statement, made available on Tuesday, he said this is an outcome of globalisation and international cooperation.
According to him, looking back, the United Nations promoted and supported the decolonisation agenda, resulting in its growth from 51 founding Member States to 193 today. This is a remarkable milestone achievement, which highlights the consolidation of global governance.
He also said the Gambia took the decision to join the UN in 1965 in support of the collective search for solutions to global challenges through diplomacy, international legitimacy and respect for International Law.
“Today, the world has become a global village, and it is reasonable to conclude that multilateralism and international diplomacy contributed to this development.
As our interdependence continues to grow, multilateralism will continue to be strengthened. This is more so, as nations continue to develop and new global powers emerge,” he said.
President Barrow calls for redoubling efforts to solve all threats to global peace, security and development and not allow the gains made in the promotion and protection of human rights to slip away.
“Conflict resolution and management should continue to be a priority at the UN. Terrorism, State insecurity, climate change, nuclear non-proliferation, socio-economic inequalities and disease will continue to confront the international community,” he said.
He pointed out that it is only through collective action, global solidarity and international cooperation that we can tackle them.
President Barrow stated that the global outbreak of COVID-19 underscores the importance of multilateralism, international solidarity and cooperation in the search for lasting solutions to such threats.
“We hope that, at the appropriate moment, we will collectively review our response to the pandemic and draw useful lessons.
“The urgency now is to help all nations to save lives, recover from the economic downturn and improve the lives of all,” he said.
He also said another major threat to international peace is the erratic outbreak of wars that destabilise countries and regions, while he called for efforts to address this phenomenon urgently, strive to resolve the on-going conflicts around the world and prevent their recurrence.
“The future of the UN and its continued relevance will depend on reforms that adapt it to our ever-changing global circumstances and realities. Essentially, our strength and success as a global family is determined by how much the UN protects and supports small and weak members, and how effectively we react to every crisis that erupts,” he pointed out.
