We’ll never tire on sanctions removal

AS the world prepares to meet in New York, the United States, this week for the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), we should remember that there has never been a time when the prospects of World War III have become real than today.

It is actually being whispered in the corridors of power.

The world is clearly on the precipice.

The protracted Russia-Ukraine war — which is nothing more than a proxy war being fought by the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and that has been running since February 2022 — has ensured that tensions continue to simmer between the West and the East.

In any war of attrition, as the one presently playing out in Eastern Europe, the losing side tends to become desperate, and the more desperate it becomes, the more reckless it is likely to be.

Kiev is presently lobbying Washington for permission to launch long-range missiles deep into Russian territory, which, to all intents and purposes, will signify a dangerous escalation of the conflict.

“We are now confirming once again that playing with fire — and they are like small children playing with matches — is a very dangerous thing for grown-up uncles and aunts who are entrusted with nuclear weapons in one or another Western country,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently told reporters in Moscow while commenting on Ukraine’s intentions.

“Americans unequivocally associate conversations about Third World War as something that, God forbid, if it happens, will affect Europe exclusively.”

While nuclear weapons have traditionally been used for deterrence, we cannot rule out their deployment, especially in a world that has already witnessed unimaginable acts of war, such as the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Americans during World War II in 1945, which killed close to 145 000 people. The fallout from the two horrific bombs was equally horrific.

And in the Middle East, despite various UN resolutions and censorious pronouncements by international courts, Israel continues to slaughter Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The death toll is now creeping towards 42 000. While the world initially expressed outrage, the resolve and solidarity seem to be waning in some quarters as they become inured to this modern-day pogrom.

But the possibility of other actors in the Middle East, which has been the world’s tinderbox for a long time, being sucked into this conflict, as seems to be the case now, is frightening. There are, however, plenty other flashpoints around the world that could be potentially catastrophic.

As the world convenes in Washington, it is important to revisit the tenets and values that informed the founding of the UN in 1945. Decisions and resolutions that are adopted by the body significantly impact global affairs, shaping international norms, influencing policies of member states and addressing key challenges facing the world.

The UNGA also serves as a forum for dialogue, negotiation and consensus-building among nations.

This year’s high-level General Debate, which begins on Tuesday, is running under the theme “Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations”.

President Mnangagwa will be represented by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Ambassador Frederick Shava, whose voice, as current chairperson of the Southern African Development Community Council of Ministers, is all the more influential.

The year’s theme is particularly poignant in light of Zimbabwe’s ongoing struggle against illegal sanctions imposed by the US, the United Kingdom and the European Union, which have hamstrung the country’s efforts to achieve sustainable development over the past two decades.

And what makes these sanctions illegal is the fact that not only are they extraterritorial, which makes them an affront to the country’s sovereignty, but they are also outside the framework of the UN.

They fly in the face of the UN’s efforts to end poverty, promote good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth.

So, undoubtedly, Zimbabwe will yet again seize this opportunity to call for their lifting. African countries’ call for reform of the Security Council, in line with the Ezulwini Consensus, will once again echo through the UN headquarters’ corridors.

The key objective of the Ezulwini Consensus is for Africa to be granted two permanent seats with veto powers, along with additional non-permanent seats within the Security Council.

The five permanent members of the Security Council — the US, Russia, China, France and the UK — enjoy disproportionate influence and power, thereby raising concerns about fairness, transparency and inclusivity within the decision-making processes.

With a total of 1,3 billion people, and having the world’s youngest population, the continent deserves a seat at the table.

So, the UN needs to listen to the concerns of member countries, not least Zimbabwe’s indefatigable call for the illegal sanctions to be removed, and rededicate itself to its founding values for the common good of the world.

Only through this can it forge a united front needed to effectively and decisively deal with existential issues such as the ever-growing conflicts around the world and threats posed by climate change.

On our part, we will never tire to call for the outmoded punitive sanctions to be removed. The future of the world is at stake and can only be saved through listening to voices of all countries, big and small.