News
World War III must be prevented
The precise import for the formation of the United Nations (UN) was to come together to resolve conflicts that might result in war.
The UN replaced the League of Nations.
The aftermath of World War II premised the advent of this international organisation.
The enormity of the death, destruction and terror that wreaked our community of nations was a sufficient testimony of the need to prevent a third world war.
There are so many horrifying stories about World War II.
The war could be termed as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with states and individuals committing appalling human rights violations.
There was unimaginable horror across countries, with towns largely empty of inhabitants.
The UN is the only international organisation which takes a universal character.
States have agreed together to meet the challenges relating to international peace and stability.
States have agreed that the UN charter be accepted and recognised as the document to guide the conduct of nations and individuals in matters relating to international peace and stability.
As member states, the contents of the charter is to be our watch word. Member states have the legal responsibility to adhere to the statutes of this document.
The UN continues to articulate a vision to lift the world from impending conflicts.
Our assurance in the organisation is based on the fact that the League of Nations failed to prevent the World War II.
The charter which was to regulate the running of the UN was drawn based on the proposals from the representatives of the US, The Soviet Union (Russia), and the UK.
These three countries became permanent members of the UN Security Council.
The cardinal aim of the UN as inscribed in the preamble of the charter is to save succeeding generations from the scourge of wars.
The implication is that the UN will endeavour to avoid mass scale wars, at the scale of the first and second world wars.
In this perspective, the UN became an organisation in which the international community, which primarily constitutes the member states, could build trust.
Some of the states which were the architects of the UN charter suffered as a result of the Second World War.
The UN after 1945, through its diplomatic efforts, has been trying to prevent a Third World War.
Series of conflicts, civil wars like what occurred in Liberia, Sierra Leone, the war in the former Yugoslavia, and currently Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had individual or state action contradicting the requirements of the preamble to the charter, which states: “…And to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small…”.
Has UN failed?
No. Though member states which accept the obligations of the charter continue to defy human rights and international humanitarian laws, it could be deduced from this that the UN has challenges, but hasn’t failed.
“For the United Nations there’s no higher goal nor deeper commitment and no greater ambition than preventing armed conflicts.
The prevention of conflicts begins and ends with the development of human security”.
Kofi Annan General Assembly Security Council A/52/871S/1988/318.
The cardinal aim of the UN is clearly defined, preventing of wars, and defending humanity.
Security Council
The mandate of the UN Security Council is to ensure global peace and stability.
The Security Council has to deal with interstate and intrastate conflicts.
The Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and stability under the charter.
It’s involvement in the maintenance of peace and stability is manifested in various roles, calling on countries to contribute troops for peace keeping operation, the formation of observer missions, all within the framework of peace building.
The Security Council influence should be supreme, pervading and controlling every other, the Security Council at its 9135-meeting presided over by Shirley Ayorkor Botchway Ghana’s Minister For Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The meeting was of the view that Russia’s action is at war with international humanitarian laws and that Russian initial pronouncements as a special military operation has been converted into a full-scale war.
The writer is Initiator,
International Forum on the Status of Refugees in the World,
Senior Lecturer, Coordinator, Russian Section.
University of Ghana.
The government is set to lay before Parliament today, November 21, a Constitutional Instrument (C.I) seeking to restrict the importation of selected strategic products into the country.
The items, numbering over 20, will include rice, tripe (popularly called “yemuadie” in Ghana), and diapers.
The government said the move is part of efforts to enhance local production.
Speaking during a press briefing in Parliament, the Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T Hammond said, “Stomach of animals, bladder and the chunk of intestines (yemuadie), the country had had to put in an amount of about $164 million towards the importation of these items. We are taking steps to ensure that in terms of rice, there’s no poverty of rice in the country.”
He emphasized, “By these restrictions, we are not going to ensure that there’s no food in the country at all; that is not the point at all. There have to be some efforts by the government to ensure that we go back to Acheampong’s operation feed yourself. There are about 22 items on the list, one of them, I think, is diapers.”
He announced the introduction of the Ghana Standards Authority Regulations 2023, which also seeks to streamline the manufacturing of cement to ensure competitive pricing.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says former President John Dramani Mahama does not understand the 24-hour economy policy he is proposing.
According to the Vice President, that policy is already being implemented in the country, as hospitals, fuel companies, among others, operate a 24-hour system.
Dr. Bawumia, therefore, urged Ghanaians to ignore Mahama during the 2024 polls since he has nothing new to offer and vote for the New Patriotic Party.
“John Mahama says he has a new idea. What is the idea? He says he wants a 24-hour economy. He doesn’t even understand that policy. Today in Ghana, our hospitals work 24 hours, our electricity company works 24 hours, our water company works 24 hours, our fuel stations work 24 hours, and many chop bars work 24 hours. Today because of digitalisation, you can transfer money 24 hours, you can receive money 24 hours… So he doesn’t understand his own policy. It doesn’t make sense.”
“So I want you to vote for me in 2024 because I will bring a new vision, I will bring a new policy. Mahama is the past, Dr Bawumia is the future. If John Mahama was there, we would say we have a dumsor economy, you can’t have a 24-hour economy in dumsor. So, you want to vote for Dr Bawumia in 2024, we will take the country to new heights,” Dr Bawumia stated.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of pressuring the House to pass a number of bills under a certificate of urgency.
Mr. Bagbin cited bills such as the Affirmative Action Bill, which is allegedly being pushed by the IMF as part of the conditionality for the balance of the $3 billion credit facility for Ghana.
Speaking at the Speaker’s Breakfast Meeting on Monday, Alban Bagbin insisted that the House will not be coerced by the IMF to pass the bill.
“Even in this budget, you can see the arm of the IMF in a lot of provisions in the budget. A critical bill like the Affirmative Action Gender Equality Bill has come to Parliament under a certificate of urgency. Please, it won’t happen; we won’t pass it under a certificate of urgency.”
“There are critical stakeholders we must consult and make sure we go together. We will not be dictated by the IMF; that one, you can be assured. This is a very critical bill that the IMF should know that we need the buy-in of the stakeholders to be able to implement it,” Alban Bagbin said.
The Affirmative Action Bill, when passed into law, would seek to expunge the historically low representation of women in decision-making spaces and promote democracy and development through all-inclusive participation.
Flood victims of Mepe receive relief items from Gospel Singer Joe Mettle
Rising Ghanaian artiste Cee Levelz releases new single “Confused”
Gov’t to restrict importation of rice, ‘yemuadie’ and other products
Mahama doesn’t understand 24hr economy; don’t vote for him – Bawumia
