The United Nations turned 75 this year—but the pandemic overwhelmed its birthday party. The UN, built in a different world, has succeeded in its core mission: preventing World War III. But is the UN, as it is now constructed, relevant to the problems of the 21st century?
Ambassador Jan Eliasson is a well-known Swedish and international diplomat. He was Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations from July 2012 to December 2016 and Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2006. Furthermore, he was President of the 60th session of the UN General Assembly in 2005–06; the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Darfur in 2007–08; the first UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, 1992–94; and participated, 1980–86, in the UN mission mediating in the Iran–Iraq War, which was headed by former Prime Minister Olof Palme of Sweden.
The Swedish Government appointed Ambassador Jan Eliasson, in 2017, as the new Chair of the SIPRI Governing Board.
The United Nations turned 75 this year—but the pandemic overwhelmed its birthday party. The UN, built in a different world, has succeeded in its core mission: preventing World War III. But is the UN, as it is now constructed, relevant to the problems of the 21st century?
In this episode of New Thinking for a New World Alan Stoga talks to Jan Eliasson, a Swedish and global diplomat who served as Deputy Secretary-General as well as President of the UN General Assembly, about a world that seems unwilling to embrace global solutions for global problems.
Hello! It has been a great job preventing WW3. This purpose has the aprouvement of the great majority of the human beings. This must be also 21 centuries target. Almost everybody will delegate this task wilingly to a group of representatives. But this thing of a “NEW ” thinking in a “NEW” world is too vague, too inespesific. And a few people representing nations cannot have power to decide a new thinking and a new world. World had been changing continously since begining of time. And the thinking had been the result of circumstancies, necesities and creativity of humans. Humans thinking for they own!!! UN could take subjects of ovbious mayority consense, but cannot think a new world. Issues like political corruption is priority for most people in most countries but it seems UN does not look with worry this issue. Corruption is mother of poverty and enemy of liberty. Corruption is corroding republics and democracies and free economies. Is number one pandemy in this world. Lies, cheat, robbery, intimidation etc. etc. are the real danger today, is the ennemy. Everything is justified for power and richness. Not only in politicians but also in excecutives of big multination companies, some of them as powerful or more than most countries in the world. Asfixiating taxing, keeping people poor and ignorant, manipulation of justice and legislation, are inceasing at light speed. This items are concrete, not big words filled with nothing and with multiple interpretations as a New Thinking in a New world. And delegating power to doubty representatives too such a wide an especific task is too dangerous.
This is my humble opinion in a world that is transforming war in a more subtle way of killing and enslaveing humans.