The 78th Session of the UNGA Meeting and matters therein

This year’s UNGA Meeting has been one of the meetings in recent times that has generated so much global interest. Thus, the 78th session has been characterized by a couple of emphatic speeches that largely resonate with many across the globe and Africa in particular. I have listened to many world leaders from Ghana, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, Ukraine, Barbados, etc. Among the speeches that I have so far listened to, a few touched my heart and were delivered by the following leaders:

1). President Williams Ruto, Kenya
2). President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa
3). Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, Barbados

I have listened to President Ruto’s speech over three times, and I am so impressed that Africa still has 'freedom fighter leaders' like the Nkrumahs, the Mugabes, the Sankaras, the Rawlings, Nyereres, etc. He spoke about many things concerning Africa, including the unfair and skewed policies of the so-called global powers against our continent. He talked about the mistrust between the global north and global south, developed vs developing nations, emitters of GHG vs net emitters, polluters vs victims, and rich vs poor. He also spoke about the need for the world to support Haiti and many other developing countries that deserve the world’s support. He said, "If any confirmation was ever needed that the UN Security Council is dysfunctional, undemocratic, non-inclusive and unrepresentative and therefore incapable of delivering meaningful progress in our world as presently constituted, the rampant impunity of its actors on global scenes settles that matter".

President Cyril Ramaphosa touched on many issues in Africa, including conflicts. He called for peace in Western Sahara and called out Israel for undermining the UN charter on the annexation of territories in reference to Palestine; he called on the US to lift the 60-year-old sanctions against Cuba; and he called on the West to equally lift the sanctions against Zimbabwe. President Ramaphosa emphasized the need for global action on women's empowerment, citing his government’s allocation of 30% of appointments to women as a demonstration of his country’s commitment to that call. He said Africa has suffered enough from the effects of climate change due to the actions of industrialized nations, especially in the global north. He said that Africa’s wealth and resources belong to Africa, and Western countries must stop the exploitation of the continent. He talked about the need to reform the UN Security Council. He talked about BRICS’s position on the current membership of the UN Security Council and how to make it more representative.

The speech by Prime Minister Mia Amor was equally great. I listened to the speech two times. She talked about Haiti; she said the WORLD owes HAITI a resolution; it’s not a matter of option. She asked why the world chose to ignore Haiti while scrambling to support other countries like Ukraine. She also talked about the unfair treatment of Cuba by the US, despite the medical support Cuba gives to many countries around the world. She talked about Venezuela. She talked about the recent devastating floods in Libya, which reportedly claimed more than 10,000 lives. She talked about the West compensating countries that were victims of colonialism. She ended her speech with a famous quote from Nelson Madiba Mandale: “Vision without action is just a dream, and action without vision just passes the time. But vision with action can change the world”.

Someone may ask if I did not listen to President Akufo's Addo speech. Indeed, I listened to his speech three times. He made a strong point about the need for reparations to be paid for the slave trade in Africa perpetrated by the Western powers. He argued that the world should not pretend that the present economic conditions in Africa have nothing to do with the historical injustice perpetrated against the continent. He said the world is not a happy place today. He said Africans fought and died in World War II in defense of Europe and its allies and that Africa set the world on the path to peace and prosperity. It is time for the world to reciprocate a similar gesture in Africa's time of need. He said we in Ghana hold firm to our belief in democracy. He talked about the propagation of authoritarian rule on the continent as opposed to democracy. It was a great speech. My only challenge with his speech is that many of the negative things he called out the West over are happening right under his watch, and he is pretending that nothing untoward is happening under him. As a leader who is notorious for involving and leading mass protests and demonstrations in Ghana, today, it is highly impossible for citizens to embark on a peaceful protest under his government despite the numerous mishaps in the country. President Akufo's speech would have passed as one of the greatest speeches in this year's UNGA meeting if the things he condemned were not directly happening under his leadership in Ghana.

For me, the great speeches are good and will invigorate Africans, especially those who believe in Pan-Africanism, but it is time to move quickly into action lest we miss #AGENDA2063, the Africa we want. This is the reason why I think it is absolutely proper for African nations to take our destinies into our own hands. It is only Africans who can liberate Africa.

Baba Musah, PE, PhD.
[email protected]
I believe in African Unity.