Minister Osman Saleh’s Statement at the Sixth Meeting of Friends Defending the UN Charter

Statement by H.E. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea at the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations
27 September 2024, New York

Mr. Chair,

Excellencies and Distinguished Colleagues,

Let me first extend my warm congratulation to the people and Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for holding the national election successfully last July and for their resiliency against the illegal external interventions. We are also grateful for hosting us at your esteemed Permanent Mission and competently steering the works of our Group of Friends in the Defence of the United Nations Charter.

The significance of our Group of Friends and the principles of the UN Charter we stand to defend are more crucial in the face of the myriad challenges our world is grappling. The proponents of the so-called ‘rules-based’ order have normalized wars and conflicts, ‘containment’ and unilateralism as their modus operandi to pursue their hegemonic military and economic interests. As part of their intrusive foreign policy toolbox, illegal unilateral coercive measures are arbitrarily applied against the principles of the UN Charter and international law. The negative impacts of these illicit sanctions on the lives of millions of people, including our own nations, have been tremendous, requiring justice and remedy. Such vicious policies pose serious challenges and threats that directly impinge upon the core principles and purposes enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

Mr. Chair,

The human tragedy unfolding in the Gaza Strip with impunity is a glaring testimony of the flaws of the skewed unipolar order and the duplicity in the application of the provisions of the UN Charter and international law. The indiscriminate killings of women, children, and innocent civilians and the destruction of civilian facilities, including hospitals, is a grave violation of the core principles of international humanitarian law namely, humanity, distinction, proportionality and necessity. The daily loss of the innocent lives is a tragedy that cannot be justified under any circumstances. The arbitrary attacks on civilians are unequivocally unjust, inhumane, and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. The international community cannot stand silent in the face of such egregious crimes. We applaud South Africa’s initiative for bringing the crimes of genocide perpetrated against the Palestinian people to the International Court of Justice for legal remedies.

Mr. Chair,

The hypocrisy of the ill-fated unipolar order can’t be disguised under any ruse – neither “national/international security” nor the “fight against terrorism”, as it merely symbolizes the selective application of the provisions of the UN Charter and international law in the interests of certain powers and their allies. The ongoing war in Gaza and its grave repercussions to the wider region serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need for peace and justice in our World. Regrettably, under the existing global order, wherein a handful “exceptions” exercise unimpeded power, the international community is doomed to unprecedent calamity as in the Gaza Strip.

While we reaffirm our steadfast solidarity with the Palestinian People and uphold the inalienable right to self-determination as a natural and legitimate entitlement, the Group of Friends should further endeavor in rectifying the willful derogation of the sacred principles of the UN Charter and international law by the powers of hegemony.

As we recommit to the fight against the ramifications of the global injustices, it is incumbent upon us to uphold the sacred principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in domestic affairs, peaceful settlement of disputes, and prohibition of the threat or use of force.

In the transition period from the defunct unipolarity to the inevitable multi-polar global order, our Group of Friends should play a pivotal role and seize the momentum for a more just, peaceful and representative international order. In this context, a qualitative expansion of our membership remains crucial to strengthening and deepening our shared objectives.

I Thank You!