UNITED NATIONS, March 30 (APP):Outgoing UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman has stressed the importance of multilateralism and international unity in addressing major challenges.
“The multilateral system, when it works, is a force multiplier,” Feltman, an American diplomat, told a farewell press briefing on Thursday after six years of service at the United Nations.
“The list of complex challenges that Member States face today is enormous,” Feltman said, noting that these challenges are addressed “much more effectively” through a multilateral system.
The support of the world body’s 193 Member States is essential, “for the multilateral system, for the institution and for the Organization itself.”
Feltman said he was concerned that some leaders were questioning whether a multilateral system was the right way to move forward.
“Frankly, if a leader is not committed to rule of law in his or her own country, how committed can we expect that leader to be to the United Nations itself?” he asked.
The outgoing political chief also underscored the importance of the Secretary-General’s reform agenda in making the UN more effective, more transparent and “to show Member States that this Organization can evolve to address today’s challenges.”
Turning to Syria, which he called “the most tragic example” of the international community’s failure “to address a peace and security, humanitarian, and human rights catastrophe,” Mr. Feltman said he saw that crisis as “more of a reason for us to recommit ourselves to pursue peace and justice, with even more determination and holding those responsible for crimes accountable.”
In December, Feltman’s visited North Korea during a time of extremely high tension. While there, he highlighted the need to prevent miscalculations and open channels of communications to reduce risking an escalation.
“I don’t want to claim a bigger role for the United Nations than it actually had in the relative thaw since then,” Feltman told reporters. “But I do think that the confidence and trust in the UN the parties have demonstrated, and all that represents, is further evidence of why we do need to keep the multilateral system strong, why we need the rules-based system.”
Earlier in the day, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres paid tribute to Feltman’s “extraordinary dedication, an enormous intelligence and a total commitment to the UN, to its values, and to peace and security in the world.”
The Department of Political Affairs monitors and assesses political developments globally to help detect and defuse crises before they happen. Its chief advises the Secretary-General on global peace and security issues, while overseeing field-based political missions carrying out peacemaking, preventive diplomacy and peace-building activities in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.
Feltman’s successor, Rosemary DiCarlo, alpso an American diplomat, pointed yesterday by the Secretary-General, will be the first woman to hold the position.