Malawi leader Mutharika in fiery UN speech: ‘Stop hypocrisy, listen to the voice of Africa’
Malawian President Peter Mutharika has challenged the United Nations (UN) to stop treating Africa as a minority in the organization, saying the pursuit of shared responsibility implies collective inclusion.
Addressing the 73rd UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Mutharika minced no words but told world leaders that the UN cannot be relevant when Africa faces segregation.
For example, he said Africa is not represented on the permanent seats on the UN Security Council with veto rights.
“The relevance of this organization rests on our ability to satisfy the needs of the people across the world. This includes Africa. There are no small nations here. There are only nations in the United Nations,” said Mutharika in his address to the assembly.
Mutharika described this year’s 73rd UNGA theme as ironical as the organization does not live up to the demands of the theme.
This year’s debate is under the theme: ‘Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies.”
“We cannot talk about shared responsibility while marginalize Africans and deny them full participation in our decisions. We cannot talk about global leadership of the United Nations when African leadership is not on the decision-making tables. In any political system, we cannot claim relevance to the people that we deny,” said Mutharika.
He said time has come to make the UN relevant to all members and share responsibilities together with Africa and the rest of the world.
“Why should we allow this organization to be accused of hypocrisy-that we preach democracy everywhere when we are not democratic enough to accommodate almost one third of our membership in this Assembly?
“We cannot talk about share responsibility while we marginalize Africans and deny them full participation in our decisions. We cannot talk about global leadership of the United Nations when African leadership is not on the decision-making tables. In any political system, we cannot claim relevance to the people that we deny,” said Mutharika.
The Malawi leader reminded the UN to adopt the common African position calling for two permanent seats with veto and for non-permanent seats for Africa on the UN Security Council.
The five permanent members are the United States of America, the United Kingdom, China, Russia and France.
“Why should some nations be afraid of losing power by offering decision making space to Africa when you don’t lose power by accommodating other continents? Is Africa that much of a threat? It is segregation of Africans must come to an end. Why should we preach democracy everywhere when we are not democratic enough to accommodate almost one third of our own membership in this Assembly?” wondered Mutharika.
Mutharika said Malawi will always play the team member of the international community and that it supports the UN initiatives in fighting global systematic threats and challenges, including terrorism and climate change.
He also said Malawi is proud to be an active member in the UN peacekeeping operations across the world.
US President Donald Trump in his fiery speech asserted America’s sovereignty and rejected “global governance, control and domination”.
Touting his signature “America First” policy doctrine, the US president speech heavily focused on respect for the right of the US to set its own immigration, trade, environmental, and other policies.
Mutharika arrived in New York on Saturday to attend the 73rd UNGA.
On Monday, he delivered a statement at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit where he called on the UN to adopt reforms that were recommended in 2005.
He also delivered a statement at another high-level education meeting where he co-hosted and called on UN members to invest in education for their people.
The Malawi leader travelled with five ministers and a deputy minister.
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Look at the photograph of APM addressing the UGA, many if not most of the delegates’ seats are EMPTY. The rest are probably busy on their smart phones. Who is listening to him and who cares what he has to say.
Mr President, you are preaching about democratic values and yet you are not practising democracy in your country and at best you practice selected democracy. you talk against segregation and yet you segregate fellow Malawians on the basis of their tribal lines. You are urging the UN to listen to Africa and yet you are unable to listen to the voice of your own people. You talk about a seat on UN Security Council with veto rights and yet as african leaders you don’t take yourselves seriously at AU. African leaders are unable to call its fellow leaders to account… Read more »
Goes to the UN to preach a message he opposes at home. What a fart. An old fart.
The talk is cheap, African leaders should start listening to the voice of their people before asking the world listening to them. How many times have you been told to free MBC from the smelly armpits of DPP? How many times have you listened to the voices of Malawians….?
It is people like President Mutharika who need to listen to the voice of Africa. Sadly, our leaders do not speak for Africa. They speak only for themselves.
This is the kind of President Africa wants. Mr. President, Malawi is too small a country for you to lead. You are wise, very intelligent and blessed in your thinking. We Malawians wish you good health and long life. Keep it up and God bless you more!
thats the kind of speeches we need to be hearing from african leaders. bravo mr president.
Kikikiki, the leaders that steal from their own people and kill their subjects, how can they be respected on permanent seats. What else do they have to offer. maloto a chumba ndithu kulota atabala mwana
Mind you the president those 5 powers were the ones who were on one side fighting against Adolf Hitler and won that WWII, To include Malawi as a country with veto power will be laughble as we have to go beack in time and help the fight against HItler.
Do you listen to the voice of your own people? Let the listening begin with you Mr president