75th anniversary celebrated in sobriety at the UN

Text by: Carrie Nooten Follow

On June 26, 1945, representatives of 51 countries signed the founding charter of the United Nations in San Francisco, California, which then came into effect on October 24. This new institution thus replaced the League of Nations and its mission was to establish multilateral diplomacy to avoid any new global conflict.

Publicity

From our New York correspondent, Carrie Nooten

With the UN headquarters still in containment, at least until the end of July, because of the pandemic, the celebrations have been greatly reduced. One hour of prerecorded messages from the President of the General Assembly, Secretary General Antonio Guterres, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian - as the coincidence of the calendar, France is presiding over the Security Council this month- below - and representatives of the different groups of countries. Nothing to do with the celebrations planned for the beginning of the year.

Very small format

The entire UN headquarters is still confined despite the phased recovery of New York City. We expect a commemoration next September during the annual general assembly, which usually brings together all the heads of state. But nothing is less certain, we warn, because this great meeting will take place itself in a very reduced format for the first time in its history. For now, it is expected that diplomats from around the world will meet virtually and only representatives of countries based in New York will be physically present.

►Also listen: 75 years of the UN: sad anniversary?

In all the messages, we hear a real concern from diplomats about the repeated assaults on the United Nations and multilateralism. A very clear trend in recent years, with heads of state who no longer even ignore their contempt for multilateral diplomacy, and prefer bilateral negotiations to it. We can think of Brazil, Venezuela or of course the United States right now. One message rightly stood out: that of Ambassador Kelly Craft, who spoke on behalf of the United States alone when none of the other four permanent members did so. She donated from Donald Trump and God Bless America while spreading a global message and on behalf of the UN, while not mince words about the organization's lack of responsibility and results.

For a more "multilateral" world

The event of this day was a round table organized by the Alliance for multilateralism, co-created a year ago by France and Germany, and which according to UN diplomats, has already become one of the vehicles the most effective in these blocked United Nations. The themes discussed were topical: universal access to health and the fight against "infodemias", that is to say all this false information about the epidemic, mostly transmitted on social networks.

The secretary general also called for "  reinventing the world with more multilateralism  ". Antonio Guterres reiterated the wish that a summit be organized between the five permanent members of the Security Council before September. So that the "P5" unblocks the points on which China and the United States have been tense since the start of the Covid-19 crisis. Besides, the UN calls on the citizens of the whole world to give their opinion on this next world. You can complete the one-minute survey she launched at www.un75.online

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• UN
• United States
• Coronavirus
• History

On the same subject

UN: India, Mexico, Norway, Ireland elected members of the Security Council for 2021-2022

UN: there was no "global truce" amid a pandemic

Geopolitics the debate

What new geopolitics in the next world?