Russian TV: The kickoff of the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly, marking a week of general debate, looks like an epitaph for the UN’s ‘world government,’ once the cornerstone of international politics. There is every reason to believe that the golden days of the UN will never return, and that its key goal – bringing the post-war world together to tackle pressing issues through joint efforts – can be pronounced dead.
The topic of this year’s debate, which is formulated around settling international disputes by peaceful means, is in itself full of bitter irony. It only underscores the futility of vague attempts under the auspices of the UN to solve the world major crises: The ongoing war in Syria, the Iranian nuclear problem, and the unprecedented wave of Muslim protests triggered by an American film and French cartoons insulting the Prophet Mohammed.
Can a debate at the 193-nation UN Assembly make the world inch towards some sort of solution, compromise and consensus in an increasingly turbulent and dangerous global environment? I wonder if there is someone who still naively believes in the magic of UN mantras, chanted in its Manhattan skyscraper every autumn. Today, it looks more like a circus, with world leaders appearing onstage only to throw their weight around, exercise in mud-wrestling or entertain the crowd at the appointed time. Everybody wants to speak from the UN arena, but very few dare to listen to and understand their opponent.
Categories: Americas