Need To Respect Core United Nations Values

Another occasion presented itself on January, 2024 for President Paul Biya and the diplomatic community in Cameroon to make an appraisal of the situation around the world during an exchange of New Year wishes at the Unity Palace. The time could not have been more appropriate to take a critical look at the consequences of several conflicts and wars that different countries are facing and the impact of such divisions on global peace as well as the ability of the United Nations (UN) to respond to the conflicts. True to his regular calls for peace as the way forward in case of misunderstandings, the President told the over 60 members of the diplomatic community present at the Presidency that the United Nations Organisation remains a key body capable of bringing stability where strife has taken over the normal trend of events. 
Of course, the discourse could not be otherwise. By accepting to assemble High Commissioners and Ambassadors accredited to Cameroon at the start of the New Year, the message was beyond mere tradition or the respect of a diplomatic ritual.  The fact that both parties expressed their views on international events demonstrated a desire to send home messages that underline the respect for each other and the need for common action among nations. Challenges like cross-border insecurity, piracy, internal or external attempts to create instability in certain countries and so on, are all situations which require collective action. In order to tackle challenges of this nature, it calls for nations to pull together their energies by drawing up strategies to closely monitor and pre-empt hot-spots, no matter where they raise their ugly head.     
It is in line with such concerns that the UN came into existence on 24 October, 1945 in San Francisco, California in the United States of America. Over the years, the egocentric nature of some member States of the UN has resulted in unilateral actions that tend to weaken the strength of the institution to the extent of even creating doubts in some critical minds about the good intentions and decisive force of the body. However, the hurdles have in no way indicated any better alternative to the UN as far as tackling world issues is concerned. Faced with the uncertainty of other options to the UN, the global community has the obligation to remain faithful to the ideals of the UN. This explains the reminder by President Paul Biya to diplomats on Friday that: “It is crucial, for the very survival of mankind, that arms be silenced and, at last, that the voice of wisdom and reason be heard.” This reminder was not only timely, but coming from someone confirmed by the international community as a shrewd leader and it carried the weight of an axiom.      
This confirmation of the leadership qualities of the Cameroonian Head of State was clearly highlighted by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps who in the New Year wishes of his peers to President Biya presented the key moments of the actions taken by Mr Biya in 2023. Paul Patrick Biffot, who is the High Commissioner of Gabon to Came...