Türkiye's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ahmet Yıldız reiterated Ankara's calls for U.N. reforms, during a high-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council on multilateralism and global governance reform on Tuesday.
"No country can overcome the challenges of the modern era alone," he stressed at the gathering.
He also reiterated that global issues such as pandemics, climate change, food crises, conflicts, terrorism and poverty require international cooperation and solidarity. "Whereas today, millions of people in the Middle East still suffer the consequences of brutal attacks, illegally occupied territories, politicized humanitarian aid and forced displacements as a result of blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian law," he said.
Noting the severe impact of poor governance, terrorism and climate change on Africa, he said that such issues lead to mass displacement, migration and food insecurity. "Effective multilateralism, therefore, is not a choice but a necessity, along with the maintenance of international law, respect for human rights and the rule of law," Yıldız said.
Emphasizing the U.N.'s "central role" in multilateralism for nearly 80 years, Yıldız stressed that "despite its flaws and need for reform, the U.N. has no alternative."
He called to "devise new methods to increase the constructive, preventive and remedial role of the U.N.," also noting, "We must reform the Security Council into a more democratic, representative, transparent, effective and accountable body."
"The reform must address the shortcomings of the Security Council rather than consolidating the already existing ones," he added.
He further stressed the importance of improving the international financial system and strengthening the role of the U.N. General Assembly. "To strengthen multilateralism, we need a stronger General Assembly, and we fully support the intergovernmental process for its revitalization."
Reaffirming Türkiye's commitment to multilateralism and global development, Yıldız said: "Türkiye remains a strong development partner for the least developed countries in their efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.
"Our efforts for a true and effective multilateralism must be centered upon the spirit and letter of the U.N. Charter. The purposes and principles enshrined in the resilient and visionary charter must remain our guideline in the path forward."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan repeats his "the world is bigger than five" mantra in most international events in reference to the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, namely China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, who hold a veto power within the body.
The president has often criticized the fact that these countries can block crucial international decisions regarding various delicate matters, calling for U.N. reform.
