July 16, 2024
The representative of the Republic of Korea said it was “surreal” that the meeting on multilateralism and the world order was convened by the Russian Federation — a country that has provided a “painful amount of food for thought” on this subject.
Despite the UN’s design making it “powerless” against permanent Security Council members violating the Charter of the United Nations, he urged not to abandon the UN or multilateralism, adding that this “enduring multilateral diplomatic space” is even more relevant in today’s skepticism and chaos. Against this backdrop, he urged to foster diversity in a manner that promotes universal values, adding:
“We are, after all, the same kind, one humanity, even amid conflicts, wars and extreme hate towards one another.”
Furthermore, he called for preserving the multilateral tools, such as peace operations and sanction regimes, as well as for ensuring greater accountability for decisions and agreements.
“One way to achieve this goal is to ensure that the United Nations outperform the League of Nations,” he added.