Dear friends,

"As World War II was about to end in 1945, nations were in ruins, and the world wanted peace.”

The institutions that once governed global cooperation had collapsed, and it became clear that a new framework was needed to prevent future wars and maintain global security. In response, the United Nations was established in 1945 with a core mission: to preserve peace and security.

79 Years of the United Nations

Today, on UN Day, we mark 79 years since the UN’s founding. But let’s be honest—we are still far from achieving the peace the world so desperately sought. And the UN might not see its 80th birthday if it does not act today on Palestine! 

Reach out to me if you are interested in supporting a campaign to impose an arms embargo/sanctions on Israel. 

It’s true, the UN has made important strides. For example, on the global health front, the UN has helped achieve incredible milestones, such as reducing polio cases by over 99% since 1988. The Chemical Weapons Convention, which came into force in 1997, has seen the destruction of 98.39% of the world’s declared chemical weapons stockpiles. Moreover, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons has significantly reduced the global nuclear arsenal.

Superpowers cannot continue to hold the UN hostage

But the truth is, politically, the UN is failing. Practically, it fails to fulfil its mandate of ensuring peace and security. 

The wars on Ukraine and Palestine make headlines around the world, while others continue to destroy Ethiopia, Libya, Myanmar, the Sahel region, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and other countries. Hundreds of thousands die, more are injured, and entire areas are razed to the ground. Conflicts deny fundamental rights and dreams to whole generations, devastate ecosystems and erase cultural heritage.

Today’s wars divide nations close to breaking point, paralysing the United Nations. The institution is stuck in the hands of superpowers, refusing to stand by international rules, hypocritically choosing when to act against aggression and when to provide diplomatic cover to war crimes. That’s due to five countries having veto power over ... anything. I’m of course speaking of the US, UK, France, China & Russia. Humanity’s best chance is to reform the United Nations radically so that it can end wars, regulate weapons, and ensure our survival, starting by abolishing the Security Council's permanent members’ veto rights.

But first, stop the genocide! 

While this will take time, the UN should not and cannot afford to stay idle. It has lost its credibility and legitimacy by failing to put an end to Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians. It has failed to stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It has failed to prevent the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Sudan by allowing weapons to continue flowing into the country. It has failed to curtail China’s aggression toward Taiwan.

Considering the ongoing most documented genocide in history, the UN needs to do better, starting today. Some of its organs have moved forward, with for example on the 19th of September, the General Assembly voting that “Israel brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which constitutes a wrongful act of a continuing character entailing its international responsibility, and do so no later than 12 months"

But that’s not enough.

The UN must impose an arms embargo on Israel. Now. Obviously, the US will for now continue its complicity in Israel’s crimes, but the UN Secretary-General and General Assembly can and must relentlessly shame countries exporting weapons until they stop. I’m talking about the US, UK, Germany & Italy as the main culprits. Without weapons, it cannot continue to murder civilians from Palestine to Lebanon.This is not without precedent. When countries such as the US and the UK were globally condemned for their role in supporting the apartheid regime in South Africa, international pressure - including intense shaming at the UN - led to sanctions that ultimately contributed to the end of apartheid. 

But the UN cannot stop there. While working to impose a permanent ceasefire, allowing aid in, it must commit to ensuring the end of apartheid and occupation, by imposing sanctions and pressure politically, diplomatically and economically Israel. Just as the UN acted against apartheid South Africa, it must now suspend Israel until these atrocities end. 

If we don’t want the UN to suffer the same fate as the League of Nations, we must act fast. If the UN is to survive past its 80th birthday, it must stop the most well-documented genocide in modern history.

And you have a role to play. At Atlas, we are planning campaigns to end the massacres, stand in solidarity with Palestinians, and stop the flow of the weapons of shame. Help me make it happen by reaching out to me if you are interested in bringing forward such campaigns ([email protected]).

 #Unite4Survival 🌏🔥

Colombe

PS Don't forget to endorse my bid to become the next U.N. Secretary-General!

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Colombe Cahen-Salvador (she/her)

Co-Founder & Candidate for United Nations Secretary-General

Atlas

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