By Amy Musgrave
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on G20 nations to recommit to the principles of the UN Charter, which call for peaceful resolutions to conflicts and self-determination.
Speaking to the G20 Leaders’ Summit on the reform on global institutions, he said that the people of Palestine had been denied their right to self-determination and were under the yoke of a brutal and violent occupation.
“As the G20 collective, we need to add our voices to ensure that the carnage that is taking place in Gaza is ended and that we work towards a just and lasting peace for both Palestinians and Israelis,” Ramaphosa said.
More than 45,000 people have been killed in Israel’s ground and air campaign in Gaza. Palestinian authorities say that the majority of them are women and children.
Last week Human Rights Watch accused Israel of crimes against humanity in Gaza for causing the massive, deliberate forced displacement of Palestinian civilians.
Ramaphosa told the gathering on Monday night that the reform of global governance institutions was more urgent now than ever before.
“The world faces many challenges that pose a danger to global peace and justice. They pose a danger to the very existence of this very precious planet that we share,” he said.
“These challenges include soaring global temperatures, rising inequality between nations and people, and escalating geopolitical tensions in areas such as Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, among others.
“To address these challenges, we need more robust multilateralism and a renewed commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.”
He said all member states must respect the charter and comply with international law. There could be no exceptions, and no country was immune from these obligations.
It was important that the UN remained the centrepiece of multilateralism, and that it led the way in advancing peace and security, tackling poverty and under-development and protecting human rights, the president said.
But to fulfil this mandate, the UN must be modernised so that it was more effective, agile, action-oriented and forward-looking.
South Africa takes over the G20 presidency for a year on 1 December.
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