To the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, New York, USA. ( A Diplomatic Note).
From Professor Dr, Emmanuel Omoh Esiemokhai, Professor of International Law and the Academic Chancellor, BOSAS INTERNATIONAL LAW BUREAU, Abuja, Nigeria.
It is a well-worn fact the UN General Assembly meets every year in September, in New York City, USA. The current session will deal with many worrisome issues confronting the international society. The most cogent and intricate is the calamitous situation in Syria. Tensions have been very high and have remained so.
The prospects for international peace and security are dire and divergent views on the Syrian crisis have crystallized.
This has raised the dangerous tone of the crisis. I am very well aware that the United Nations has not asserted its jural regulation of the international affairs of states as the Charter of the UN stipulates.
In the last twenty years, the UN had failed, in exerting the full weight of international law, in many cases, where prompt and measured diplomatic actions could have reduced tensions inexorably.
Inaction or belated action on the part of the UN have led to escalations and spiraling of political crisis around the world, since 2000.
In the last twenty years, some states have set up mini-UN organizations like G7, G8,G20, which seemed to have usurped the international legal functions of the UN General Assembly.
Some states, now known as the “international community” in which economically strong states play a heightened role, impose their views on the rest of the world.
As a result, the solidarity of big powers has led them to disregard international law, adevertently or inadvertently.
The world has now been forced to adopt the philosophy of one world and one truth. The undemocratic culture of “who is not for us is against us” has become the credo.
This puts constraints on liberal, democratic debate in contemporary international politics.
Eminent, but bias commentators in European states push their politicians to engage in hegemonic activities around the world, including disregard for international law and UN regulatory role in maintaining international peace and security.
The coercive ability of some states is overwhelming and awesome and so, they tend to have their way always, even though the people may have their say.
The most rational suggestion the United Nations should adopt is that there should be a complete ban on the manufacture and sale of all chemical and bacteriological weapons world-wide. Without these weapons, their use will abate.
The General Assembly should urge the UN Secretary-General to adopt more pro-active initiatives to stop international crisis, before they fester inexorably.
The General Assembly should treat as an emergency, the prompt admission of more states into the Security Council.
The General Assembly should resuscitate the work of the UN Military Commission and post its representative to all states.
The General Assembly should re-visit the issues involved in the international defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms, These are the objectives of the UN Charter, which form the corpus of jus cogens.
Members of the UN should be more tolerant of each other’s territorial integrity and political in dependence.
The UN General Assembly should urge states to protect the rights of minorities, the disabled and offer superior education to all citizens, who can benefit from enlightenment.
Member-states must respect the culture, traditional beliefs and national orientation of other states.
The General Assembly must call on the Indian Government to deal seriously with the debauchery running amok in the disrespect of womanhood in India.
States should tighten the security of their borders and liberalize their immigration laws, in order to put a human face on their immigration policies, to favour those, who are fleeing from bad governments, political plights and inhuman conditions prevalent in many states.
The United Nations should hold constructive dialogues with states, whose policies tend to stoke the embers of discontent.
The UN Secretary-General should throw off his apparent timidity and assert the authority given to him by the United Nations.
Although the UN is not a supra-national organization, and suffers some handicap by virtue of Article 2(7) of the UN Charter, he should show dynamism and pro-active diplomatic push.
At all times, the UN Secretary-General, should receive the cooperation and attention of all states.
On a lighter note, all those, who are gripped by emotion and passion as a result of the indubitable wrongs perpetuated on the Syrian people and so, approve of a military strike on Syria, should join me as soon as possible in Damascus.
Anyone, who absents himself or herself from this unique gathering of sympathetic undertakers, will go into the history of international diplomacy as hypocrites of the highest ranks.
So, come over to Damascus since there will be only “limited, short-lived, proportionate strikes to degrade Assad’s capability to use chemical weapons on his own people.”
You will find me on the spot, where Saul, turned Paul met his Damascus experience. St Paul will intervene to make sure no-one is disabled.
God, the Father, God, the Son and God, the Holy Ghost will also come down. Hallelujah!!!
