Mexican The President warned on Tuesday that the world is moving from “civilization to barbarism” and called on the thousand richest people, the thousand largest private companies and 20 major economies to improve the lives of the 750 million people who currently live on less than $2 a day.
Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador told the UN Security Council that the proposal could generate about $1 trillion in revenue each year, “without any intermediary, through a card or a personalized e-wallet” directly Provided to the poorest people in the world.
The Mexican leader severely criticized the countries of the world for not addressing all forms of corruption-politics, ethics, economics, law, finance, and finance-in a harsh speech to the most powerful United Nations agency-what he called “the main problem of the planet.” . . “
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Lopez Obrador is the second time he has visited since taking office in December 2018. He chaired the committee for a two-year term in Mexico and served as chairman this month. The country chose the theme of Tuesday’s meeting: “Maintaining International Peace and Security: Exclusion, Inequality and Conflict.”
As an example of exclusion and inequality, he pointed out that 94% of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution was sold by pharmaceutical companies, and only 6% went to the COVAX program of the United Nations World Health Organization for distribution to poor countries.
Lopez Obrador warned: “The spirit of cooperation is being replaced by the desire for profit, which causes us to slide from civilization to barbarism.” “We are moving forward, alienating, forgetting moral principles, and betraying human suffering. “
“If we cannot reverse these trends through concrete actions, we will not be able to solve any other problems that affect the people of the world,” he said.
Lopez Obrador said that in the next few days, Mexico will propose a “World Plan for Fraternity and Well-being” to the UN General Assembly to guarantee the right to a decent life for the 750 million people who earn a living for less than US$2 a day. .
He said that the proposal can be funded from three sources: voluntary contributions of 4% of the income of the world’s 1,000 richest people each year, 4% of similar contributions from the 1,000 largest private companies (by market value), and 0.2 % GDP of the largest global economies in the G20.
Lopez Obrador accused the United Nations of failing to help people at the bottom of the economic ladder while the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was in attendance. He said: “In the history of the organization, No substantial measures have been taken to benefit the poor.”
“But it’s never too late to make sure that justice is done,” he said. “It’s time to take action against marginalization and deal with the causes rather than just the consequences.”
United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric responded that the global poverty rate has fallen from 36% in 1990 to 8.4% in 2019.
“The Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2000 provide a preliminary roadmap for actions that support this declining trajectory; with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, it has been expanded into a comprehensive framework for the well-being of mankind and the planet, of which SDG 1 is particularly relevant. Focus on poverty eradication,” he said.
With the continuous influx of COVAX donations, poor countries are still waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine
Before the Mexican President’s speech, Guterres addressed the Council, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic “increased suffering and inequality” and plunged approximately 120 million people into poverty. Millions of people around the world are facing hunger and famine, and the world is facing “The worst global economic recession since World War II.”
“People in the wealthiest countries are getting a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while only 5% of Africans are fully vaccinated,” he said. “Even before the pandemic, the wealth of world billionaires exceeded 60% of the global population-and this gap has widened.”
The Secretary-General of the United Nations stated that increasing inequality is a factor in increasing instability.
“Today, we face the most violent conflicts since 1945,” and “a dangerous sense of impunity is spreading-as can be seen from the recent seizure of power by force, including military coups,” he said.
“Human rights and the rule of law are under attack,” Guterres said. “From Afghanistan, girls there are once again deprived of their right to education – and women are deprived of their rightful place in society. In Myanmar, ethnic minorities there are targeted, treated cruelly and forced to flee. In Ethiopia, an artificial humanitarian crisis is unfolding before our eyes.”
The Secretary-General called for equal investment in the development of all people, more rigorous monitoring of growing inequality to resolve grievances as soon as possible, including women’s participation in peacebuilding, and ensuring that national institutions represent everyone. “This means that the justice system applies equally to everyone-not just the rich or those in power,” he said.
A presidential statement approved by all 15 council members stated that exclusion and inequality may be “exacerbating factors” in conflict, and it is important that governments in and out of conflict “resolve long-standing instability and inequality.” Driving factors”.
The Security Council also emphasized the importance of a comprehensive approach to peacekeeping, including addressing root causes, strengthening the rule of law, promoting economic growth, eradicating poverty, promoting national reconciliation, and mediating “dissatisfaction based on religious, ethnic, ethnic, and other differences.” . “
© 2021 Canadian Press
