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MANILA, Philippines – As the United Nations grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, its “greatest test” since World War II, President Rodrigo Duterte called on the international body to implement reforms to better address the challenges posed by the global medical crisis.
“The invisible enemy that is COVID-19 has caused an unknown global landscape and unleashed an unprecedented crisis. It is the greatest test the world and the United Nations have faced since World War II, ”Duterte said in a prerecorded speech broadcast Wednesday at the UN General Assembly.
“While the United Nations has brought relief and hope to so many countries and peoples around the world, they are now overwhelmed by a virus that has claimed many lives and destroyed economies and social order,” he added.
The president challenged the UN and its member states to re-evaluate whether they had been faithful to the principles and ideas of the international organization.
While the United Nations remains “the essential organization of humanity,” Duterte said it could only be as effective to the extent that member states could.
“To make meaningful changes, we must be courageous. We need the same collective courage that the United Nations finally made a reality 75 years ago, ”Duterte said.
“We need to act on the basis of long-standing recommendations to improve the composition and working methods of the Security Council; strengthen the role of the General Assembly; and streamline the processes and operations of the UN, “he added.
It could not be “business as usual” for the UN if it wanted to solve its current and future challenges, Duterte said.
“Let us strengthen it so that it can fully fulfill its mandate to maintain peace and security, defend justice and human rights, and promote freedom and social progress for all,” he continued.
Duterte’s speech to the high-level debate at the UN General Assembly marks his first speech to the international body since he took office in 2016.
The President spoke to the UN along with world leaders from the United States, Russia, China, the Republic of Korea, among others.
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