Mugabe decries imbalances in UN

AFRICA and Asia must harness their numerical superiority at a multilateral level to push for a reform of the United Nations system so that their voices can be heard in the international system, President Mugabe has said.

Officially opening the Asia-Africa Commemoration Conference at the Jakarta Convention Centre here yesterday, President Mugabe hailed historic ties between Africa and Asia, but warned that unless these translated to practicalities, they were bound to remain ritualistic.

Notable among the leaders of 93 nations who attended the opening ceremony was Chinese president Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The UN system, particularly the powerful Security Council, has remained a virtual spoil of war for the victorious allies of the Second World War: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States to which other UN members get membership on a rotational, temporary basis.

Only the five permanent members enjoy the veto power on UN decisions. Even the global financial architecture mirrors Western hegemony, with the US choosing the president of the World Bank while Europe picks the boss of the International Monetary Fund.