World Humanitarian Summit and the UN question
The first U.N. World Humanitarian Summit has been held in Istanbul. One of the most important things that a comprehensive humanitarian summit must carry out is a bold criticism of the U.N.'s structure and functioning. Unfortunately, the U.N. cannot resolve the far-reaching problems of humanity today. This being the case, humanity needs a universal institution that addresses the issues of all people's equal access to peace, justice, development and welfare on a global basis that brings fundamental solutions and criticizes the system if necessary. In this regard, we are facing a U.N. question today.
It is significant that this summit has been held in Istanbul. In addition to being a country that grants the most amount of humanitarian aid in comparison to its national income in the world, Turkey also is the key country for the resolution of the refugee crisis, which is one of the greatest tragedies facing humanity today. These two qualities of Turkey have added new aspects to the summit.
This kind of U.N. summit must also be a platform to question the U.N.'s historical structure and function in light of the world's current economic and social conditions. This is because the U.N. was founded soon after World War II with the objectives of bringing world peace, global justice, cooperation and the equal use of resources to people, and it is far from achieving those objectives.
Humanity is facing a systemic problem with basic humanitarian issues today. One of the factors that give rise to this problem is the U.N.'s structure and functioning as an institution. We know President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's persistent criticism of the U.N, which other world leaders and communities also feel obliged to accept. German Chancellor Angela Merkel made an opening speech at the summit and emphasized that it would be hard to resolve humanity's basic problems without preventing economic and political crises. She stressed there is a systemic question regarding the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Indeed, this is what Turkey has voiced all along.
There has emerged a field called the "humanitarian aid economy." Although a total of $155 billion is funneled to this economy every year, merely a small part of it reaches the poor or is used in investments that can eliminate poverty. This money, which is managed by the U.N.'s humanitarian assistance programs and organizations, flows to the U.N.'s professional staff, goods suppliers and project managers rather than the poor. Tens of thousands of professionals are employed in food, health, education and children programs that are designed for the poor. So, we can suggest that all these U.N. programs and institutions serve the managers of these programs and institutions and contribute to their welfare rather than that of the poor.
Furthermore, the tender chain of these programs in poor countries have aroused an economy of corruption. Well, what does the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) do today? What development is the U.N's Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) interested in? Have you heard any concrete projects that the U.N.'s Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has actualized for children who starve and who are captured by terrorist organizations? This is impossible, as many of the asymmetric wars on sharing in the world are operated by terrorist organizations that are the products of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. Unfortunately, children are actively used by these terrorist structures. Therefore, the motto that "The world is bigger than five" speaks about a paradigm shift and underlines that we need to change the system to achieve peace and justice.
The discussion on the U.N. in this framework essentially means discussing current social and economic programs and changing the current social and economic path. All developed countries, particularly Germany, imposed impoverishing neoliberal and outdated policies on poor countries and even EU countries like Greece. I think Merkel is aware that these policies are the root cause of the current crisis, otherwise, her remark that crises must be prevented in order to prevent poverty and achieve peace does not go beyond demagogy like the World Bank's demagogical statements about the struggle against poverty.
The system cannot absorb further maintenance today as the poverty created by economic crises has turned into a structural problem that also engulfs developed countries. The politicians and technocrats of developing countries are the ones who need to realize this truth. Raghuram Rajan, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, sets a good example in this regard. Two years ago, he chastised the U.S. and all other developed countries during the G20 summit, saying, "You irresponsibly increased balance sheets at your central banks to save yourselves from the 2008 crisis. Now, along with the signs of recovery, you cannot do the opposite in the same irresponsible manner. If you do this, not only we, but also you will be overwhelmed by it."
We know that developed countries will fail to realize what Rajan realized in 2014. However, this is not our concern, as we know that the reason for poverty in both our country and the world is current neoliberal policies. We will stop the rot starting from our own country.
The change in Turkey's economy administration will bring a more open and reliable economy and further improve the investment environment.
It is significant that this summit has been held in Istanbul. In addition to being a country that grants the most amount of humanitarian aid in comparison to its national income in the world, Turkey also is the key country for the resolution of the refugee crisis, which is one of the greatest tragedies facing humanity today. These two qualities of Turkey have added new aspects to the summit.
This kind of U.N. summit must also be a platform to question the U.N.'s historical structure and function in light of the world's current economic and social conditions. This is because the U.N. was founded soon after World War II with the objectives of bringing world peace, global justice, cooperation and the equal use of resources to people, and it is far from achieving those objectives.
Humanity is facing a systemic problem with basic humanitarian issues today. One of the factors that give rise to this problem is the U.N.'s structure and functioning as an institution. We know President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's persistent criticism of the U.N, which other world leaders and communities also feel obliged to accept. German Chancellor Angela Merkel made an opening speech at the summit and emphasized that it would be hard to resolve humanity's basic problems without preventing economic and political crises. She stressed there is a systemic question regarding the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Indeed, this is what Turkey has voiced all along.
There has emerged a field called the "humanitarian aid economy." Although a total of $155 billion is funneled to this economy every year, merely a small part of it reaches the poor or is used in investments that can eliminate poverty. This money, which is managed by the U.N.'s humanitarian assistance programs and organizations, flows to the U.N.'s professional staff, goods suppliers and project managers rather than the poor. Tens of thousands of professionals are employed in food, health, education and children programs that are designed for the poor. So, we can suggest that all these U.N. programs and institutions serve the managers of these programs and institutions and contribute to their welfare rather than that of the poor.
Furthermore, the tender chain of these programs in poor countries have aroused an economy of corruption. Well, what does the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) do today? What development is the U.N's Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) interested in? Have you heard any concrete projects that the U.N.'s Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has actualized for children who starve and who are captured by terrorist organizations? This is impossible, as many of the asymmetric wars on sharing in the world are operated by terrorist organizations that are the products of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. Unfortunately, children are actively used by these terrorist structures. Therefore, the motto that "The world is bigger than five" speaks about a paradigm shift and underlines that we need to change the system to achieve peace and justice.
The discussion on the U.N. in this framework essentially means discussing current social and economic programs and changing the current social and economic path. All developed countries, particularly Germany, imposed impoverishing neoliberal and outdated policies on poor countries and even EU countries like Greece. I think Merkel is aware that these policies are the root cause of the current crisis, otherwise, her remark that crises must be prevented in order to prevent poverty and achieve peace does not go beyond demagogy like the World Bank's demagogical statements about the struggle against poverty.
The system cannot absorb further maintenance today as the poverty created by economic crises has turned into a structural problem that also engulfs developed countries. The politicians and technocrats of developing countries are the ones who need to realize this truth. Raghuram Rajan, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, sets a good example in this regard. Two years ago, he chastised the U.S. and all other developed countries during the G20 summit, saying, "You irresponsibly increased balance sheets at your central banks to save yourselves from the 2008 crisis. Now, along with the signs of recovery, you cannot do the opposite in the same irresponsible manner. If you do this, not only we, but also you will be overwhelmed by it."
We know that developed countries will fail to realize what Rajan realized in 2014. However, this is not our concern, as we know that the reason for poverty in both our country and the world is current neoliberal policies. We will stop the rot starting from our own country.
The change in Turkey's economy administration will bring a more open and reliable economy and further improve the investment environment.