Jamal Benomar (In a tumultuous world, we rely on the United Nations more than ever – but it is failing, 30 September) is right on two counts: we need the UN like never before, and the thousands of UN and specialised agency staff deserve our respect for the difficult and often dangerous work they do to improve ordinary lives across the world. However, I question the implication that the current secretary general is falling short and lacking courage.
António Guterres is the only major world leader speaking out with any courage about climate change, Russian and Israeli warmongering, and the desperate poverty and suffering of millions of people around the world. Unlike his predecessors, he is facing the long-term consequences of four decades of neoliberal economics, unleashed by Margaret Thatcher and eagerly adopted by global elites everywhere. And the unholy alliance of capital, fossil fuel behemoths and unregulated new tech has created a class of super-rich arrogant “leaders” who feel empowered to ignore the UN and their own governments without consequence.
Guterres on his own can do little. It is time the UK, France and the US acted together to promote real UN reform, and practice the principles they preach but consistently shy away from. If coupled with an honest response to our climate obligations, debt relief and increases in overseas development budgets, the western security council members could bring a majority of other countries with them and outflank the dictators and others whose arrogance and megalomania undermine both the UN and our children’s futures.
Christopher Tanner
Llandovery, Carmarthenshire
There is much talk about a meaningful role for the UN. In my opinion, a major stumbling block stands in the way with regard to questions of war and peace in the world – ie the veto power of the five permanent members of the security council. Because of that veto power, the five “superpowers”, and by extension their allies, can do whatever they want with impunity.
If that veto power were abolished, the security council would consist of 15 periodically chosen UN members. Added to this new structure should be a rule that a state is prohibited from starting an armed conflict without prior mediation by the security council. Anyone who really wants order in the world cannot be an opponent of this.
Willem van Tongeren
Twello, the Netherlands