Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi's addressed the UN General Assembly two years ago.
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi's addressed the UN General Assembly two years ago.

Despite faults, the UN remains indispensable



Last Tuesday, the United Nations opened its 72nd session of its General Assembly since its founding. The general debate will begin this Tuesday. The UNGA is the most democratic organ of the organisation, operating on a principle of equal representation. If it is a forum for heads of major countries to advance grand global visions, it is also an opportunity for leaders of smaller nations to freely reproach the big powers.

Critics argue this is all a waste of time. The UN's reputation has certainly taken a beating since the start of the century, in part because it remains frozen in the geopolitical realities of the 1940s. In an ideal world, five member states would not be endowed with powers of veto over the rest. There is also its ineffectiveness. Over the last half decade, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children have been killed in Syria, some of them gassed to death by forces loyal to Bashar Al Assad, the country's president, while the UN has dithered. Even now, the UN appears incapable or unwilling to act. The same goes for Myanmar, where nearly 400,000 Rohingya Muslims have been driven out of the country in a matter of weeks in one of the most horrifying instances of ethnic cleansing in recent history. Will the UN arrive at a consensus to help their plight? North Korea is another formidable challenge. Its leader, Kim Jong-un, threatens to unleash a nuclear holocaust. Is the UN capable of moderating his behaviour?

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The National has a ringside seat at the General Assembly and will be offering in-depth coverage of the proceedings as the UN grapples with questions that demand very urgent answers.

Having highlighted the UN's failures, it is important, too, to remember its achievements. It has averted conflicts by enabling leaders to engage openly in war of words. At the peak of the Cold War, it prevented a Third World War by creating an avenue for dialogue between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Millennium Development Goals adopted by the UN in 2000 have helped reduce child mortality and, improved environmental sustainability, expanded primary education, and accelerated the fight against malaria, HIV/Aids and other diseases. Its support mission to Libya, unanimously extended by the UN last week, is currently helping that country with the complex work of creating democratic institutions.

The UN's very existence is evidence of our ability to overcome our differences and strive, however imperfectly, to work in a spirit of human collaboration. As Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary General of the UN, once said, "The United Nations was created not to lead mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell". Who can deny that the UN so far has succeeded in this mission?

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RESULT

Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')

Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)

Europe’s rearming plan
  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
  • Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
RESULT

Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: 
Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)

The bio:

Favourite film:

Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.

Favourite holiday destination:

Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.

Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.

Favourite pastime:

Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.

Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.

Personal motto:

Declan: Take chances.

Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.

 

A State of Passion

Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi

Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah

Rating: 4/5

In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million