By Cedric Nkungula
Malawi President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has called for urgency in reforming the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.
President Chakwera made the remarks on Thursday at the ongoing 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
In his eight-page address, Chakwera emphasized that efforts to move the world forward are being hindered by a global system of multilateral agencies and financial institutions that are “too slow, too inefficient, too monolithic, and too undemocratic”.
“The refusal to practice democracy of equal representation at the UN has led to relentless calls for member states to practice democracy in their jurisdictions falling on deaf ears,” Chakwera stated.
He added that the refusal to honor climate financing pledges or link them to debt relief has resulted in alarming debt-to-GDP ratios in developing countries like Malawi.
“If this is not fixed, those who keep us in a state of perpetual debt when they have the resources to cancel those debts should make no mistake: the spreading debt crisis in the developing world is cancer that will make your own economies unsafe,” Chakwera warned. “So the time to fix this is now.”
On democracy within the UN system, Chakwera stressed the need for urgent reforms. He cited Africa’s demand for two permanent seats with veto power in the UN Security Council, which has been backed by US President Joe Biden and China President Xi Jinping.
Chakwera attributed Malawi’s development strides over the past four years to strong international cooperation. He cited examples such as the boom in road construction, rehabilitation of the railway network, and reinstatement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility (CEF) Program.
