Every year for several weeks after the third week of September, world leaders gather at the U.N. headquarters in New York to make speeches about the state of the world and the regions they come from. It is very hard to find a good speech these days from among the 193 member countries because all leaders want to say things they have in mind, which do not necessarily reflect the reality of the world or the themes designated by the U.N.
This year will be no exception. Indeed, it must be a very depressing atmosphere in the great hall of the U.N., where the good side of humanity has not yet been seen on display. Instead, it has become a place where certain leaders spew out venom against others.
The U.N. was created after the world suffered a devastating war that killed millions of people. The global system was created to prevent war from recurring, and to promote peace and development. Somehow, over the past six decades, the U.N. has not been fully utilized by member countries. That helps explain why, at the moment, there are so many conflicts and wars going on.
The violence in Syria is a good reminder that U.N. members are not really interested in the plight of the people there. Even though there are regular reports of atrocities against the Syrian people, the world’s leaders are more interested in playing politics at the U.N. instead of focusing of real action that could save lives.
What is the use of talking about world peace whenever leaders gather at the U.N.? Instead of increasing their cooperative effort, they continue to attack each other. The U.N. is supposed to be a forum where differences can be discussed and reconciled, and conflicts solved. No more: the General Assembly now looks more like a circus ring where some leaders are more comical than others.
This has emerged as a pattern at the U.N. Leaders from dictatorial countries prefer to use the forum to showcase their political strength and personal idiosyncrasies. Iranian President Mahmoud Amadinejad has become well known for making outrageous statements in front of the world about Israel and the United States. Since he was elected for a second term as president, his annual appearances at the U.N. have become a nuisance, just like those of erstwhile Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi.
World leaders come and go, but whenever they have the opportunity, they want to make their presence felt in whatever way. So they go to New York without much to say, and thus offer little to answer the expectations of ordinary people around the world.
In the case of Thailand, significant developments have either been announced or took place during the U.N.’s annual meeting. In 2006 former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a coup at home while he was about to make his speech at the U.N.
This week his sister Yingluck is standing in for him. Thailand often uses its U.N. speech to exalt the virtues of being Thai and to reiterate the Thai model of development. If past U.N. speeches are anything to go by, this year’s outpouring will be more mundane words without vision. Expect more of the same from our mediocre leaders.
