New York, January 11, 2020 (SPS) - Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations, Ambassador Jerry Matjila, called on the UN Security Council not to allow some of its permanent members’ political interests to undermine the respect of the international law and self-determination in the cases of Western Sahara and occupied Palestinian territories.
In an open debate of the Security Council on Thursday on “Maintaining peace and security, respecting the United Nations Charter,” Matjila underlined that “the adherence to the international law is the only way to resolve current conflicts thanks to the negotiated solutions to prevent new conflicts,” stressing the need and importance of this approach in the context of emerging threats for international peace and security, like the rise in domestic conflicts, terrorism, organized crime and other global threats.
“We shouldn’t lose the huge achievements that have been made so far to boost the collective action through the United Nations,” said Matjila.
“We must seize the opportunity of this 75th anniversary of the UN Charter and the United Nations itself must renew its commitment to the aspirations that we had when we signed it at the beginning, and to return to the text and letter of the General Assembly, to the spirit and principles of its Charter through which we seek to establish the international peace and security and to continue the struggle for the mutual benefit and development of all peoples,” he added. (SPS)
062/SPS/APS