The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has urged the United Nations to give Africa, especially Nigeria a permanent seat at the Security Council.
Mr Kalu emphasized the need to redefine multilateralism to accommodate the pressing needs of developing countries.
While speaking at the Heads of Parliaments meeting at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, United States of America, USA and in preparation for the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland in July under the auspices of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Kalu stressed that the current multilateral approach is driven by the Global North, leaving the Global South to face significant developmental challenges.
Speaking on the ‘challenges faced by countries in the world and how Parliaments can help ameliorate them through multilateralism’, Kalu said that the global parliaments advocated for increased representation of developing countries in decision-making rooms and tailoring conversations to address their unique challenges.
Using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an example, the Deputy Speaker noted that while the goals aim to address global issues, they may not align with the priorities of developing countries, which are still struggling to achieve industrialization and economic growth.
Kalu who advanced Nigeria’s position on the issue therefore emphasized the need to expand the voices in the room to accommodate more of the Global South, ensuring that multilateral aspirations are truly global.
He said: “We need to define what we want to achieve with multilateralism. The current dynamic of multilateralism is driven by the Global North while the Global South is facing pressing developmental issues.
“My people in Nigeria have a saying that you cannot shave a man’s head in his absence. If you want developing countries to embrace multilateralism, give them more seats in rooms where developmental conversations are held and tailored the conversation to embrace and address their challenges.
“Using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an example. We have 5 years to go to attain the SDGs. I agree that the SDG Goals were designed to address global issues but a critical appraisal will indicate that some of the issues the SDGs seek to address are not yet what developing countries wish to prioritize as they are yet to scale the hurdle of industrialisation and economic growth. Therefore expecting them to embrace aspirational SDG targets may be a challenge.
“Let us define what we choose to achieve by multilateralism and expand the voices in the room to accommodate more of the global South so that the aspirations will be truly global”.
Elucidating his points shortly after the meeting, Kalu added that the concept of multilateralism would remain a theory if the principles of inclusivity and cooperation are excluded.
“I was addressing the presiding officers from all over the world who gathered to have this preparatory meeting for the world Conference of Speakers coming up in July. This is our 3rd meeting.
“I reminded them that the concept of multilateralism that all of us are talking about would remain a theoretical concept if it’s not shaped in line with the principles that should guide it: principles of inclusivity and cooperation. The goal should be peace and prosperity in the world, for us to be able to achieve that, you need to ensure that at all times, those principles that guide the concept of multilateralism should be upheld to the highest level.
“When you do a critical analysis of how we’ve operated multilateralism, you find out that the practice of equality is not there. The Global South which Africa falls under is not treated as equal when it gets to the table of making global policies that will benefit the world.
“If you break it down further, you find out that inclusivity is key to multilateralism. Africa at the moment is not part of the permanent seat in the security council of the United Nations.
“If we must preach multilateralism, I think it’s about time we talked about the amendment of article 108 of the UN Charter, to give more space for Africa to be involved.
“I believe that the goals that multilateralism is supposed to chase, certain areas around the globe should be designed differently.
“Africa with the burden of debts that has lingered for a number of years is not expected to perform on the achievements of the SDG goals just like any other continent around the world. These were some of the things I shared with the body of speakers around the world at this New York conference of the United Nations“, Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker said.
Kalu also expressed his gratitude to the President of IPU, Tulia Ackson, the Secretary-General, Martin Chungong and the Heads of global national parliaments for the meeting.
According to reports, multilateralism refers to the practice of multiple countries working together to address common challenges, promote shared interests, and establish common standards
