Aliaksandr Lukashenka believes that India, Russia and China are not showing enough initiative in building a multipolar world. He expressed this view at a meeting in the SCO+ format held in Bishkek. According to him, time is running out and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation could become another United Nations in terms of effectiveness.
“You know perfectly well how large the share of SCO countries is in the world’s population and economy. Without the members of our association, it is impossible to resolve any global problem, whether it is climate change, fighting epidemics or stabilizing energy markets”, he said.
Lukashenka believes that SCO countries are capable of pushing forward reforms at the United Nations.
“We are capable of promoting, in our format, decisions on such areas as promoting international peace and security, combating terrorism, cyber threats and drug trafficking that have stalled in New York because of opposition from the West.
In the economic sphere, the SCO is capable of effectively implementing initiatives that are currently blocked at the UN to combat unilateral coercive measures, stimulate mutual investment, simplify customs procedures, develop the digital economy and improve transport connectivity. By building consensus on these issues in our space, the SCO is creating a solid foundation for the resumption of a full-fledged global dialogue”, he added.
Lukashenka believes that no international event should take place without the SCO, but the organization is losing time.
“Especially at the first meeting, there was a lot of talk about the fact that the essence of these statements was that no event in the world should take place without our organization, without the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. We all understand this, we talk about some kind of ‘spirit’ and so on and so forth. But that is not enough. People expect concrete action from us toward multipolarity. Time is running out. If we lose time, we may turn into the United Nations in the form in which it exists today”, he continued.
However, not all is lost, and the SCO can still be a catalyst for reforming the UN.
“But in the long term, we can act as a catalyst for revitalizing the United Nations, restoring its status as a platform for resolving the most difficult global problems, rather than an instrument in the hands of the West for putting pressure on and coercing sovereign and independent states. For some reason, we are also afraid to talk about this. But for the renewal of the UN, it is important not only who its leaders are. It is also important to develop a culture of interstate conduct based on mutual respect and dialogue”, he said.
According to Lukashenka, the process of drafting the Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity can contribute to this.
“I am convinced that the drafting of the Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century will also contribute to this process. At the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly, the negotiation process on drafting the Charter will be officially launched. In practical terms, it will begin in the capital of Belarus in November this year at the annual Minsk Conference on International Security. Taking this opportunity, I invite you to this conference”, Lukashenka said.
He assured that he was ready to act actively in this direction. He also expects similar behavior from the leaders of other countries, although they lack initiative.
“In concluding my remarks, I want to once again confirm Belarus’s readiness to contribute to the work of the SCO, share its experience in priority areas of cooperation, strengthening the United Nations and building a just multipolar world order. We are ready to act actively and purposefully. What we expect, I will say frankly, is also from our leaders. However equal we may all be here, we nevertheless recognize that we have three most powerful states: the People’s Republic of China, India and the Russian Federation, powerful in economic and resource terms and nuclear-armed states. We expect initiative from them above all. Unfortunately, this initiative is not there yet. Excuse me, and thank you for your attention”, Lukashenka concluded.
