UN75 Declaration

In June 2020, the United Nations (UN) celebrated its 75th anniversary of signing the United Nations Charter. UN75 Declaration was an initiative launched in January 2020 to create the world's largest conversation about current global challenges, current trends, and the future we are headed.

However, this was recently in the news as member states delayed the charter on a few phrases mentioned in the charter.

In this article, we will look at the key highlights of the UN75 Declaration and understand the reasons for the Five Eyes (FVEY) objecting to it.

Highlights of the UN75 Declaration

• On October 24, 2020, the United Nations celebrated its 75th anniversary
• To mark this occasion, the UN ignited a people's debate to encourage people to put their opinions together and define how we can all come together and build international cooperation to help realise a better world by 2045
• However, the UN75 Declaration was delayed due to certain member countries not agreeing on the phraseology, shared vision of a common future.
• This phrase was similar to the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), a community with a shared future for mankind.
• The countries that objected to the UN75 Declaration are an intelligence alliance called the Five Eyes (FVEY), which includes New Zealand, Canada, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom; the only country to join this alliance is India.

UN75 Declaration Objection

• The silencing process is a procedure by which a resolution passes if there is no formal objection raised within a stipulated time
• The silencing process was broken at the request of the UK's Ambassador to the UN, who wrote on behalf of the FVEYs and India, suggesting alternative wording for the phrase
• The objection resulted in breaking the ‘silence process' of the UN. The six objecting countries demanded the phrase to be read as, We will work together with partners to strengthen coordination and global governance for the common good of present and future generations and to realise our shared vision for a better future as envisaged in the preamble of the UN Charter.
• UN General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande circulated a draft declaration to the UN Member States under the silence procedure and, on June 24 2020, changed the phrase in the draft declaration.

12 UN75 Declaration Commitments

The UN75 Declaration commits to building on Our Common Agenda, which builds on the 12 commitments that are:

1. Promote Peace & Prevent Conflicts
2. Protect Our Planet
3. Leave No One Behind
4. Place Women & Girls At The Center
5. Improve Digital Cooperation
6. Abide By International Law & Ensure Justice
7. Listen To & Work With The Youth
8. Build Trust
9. Upgrade The United Nations
10. Ensure Sustainable Financing
11. Boost Partnerships
12. Be Prepared

While all member nations accept the entire exercise and objective of the UN75 Declaration, the event also shows how tensions between nations are on the rise.

The Objection comes mainly from countries like India, Australia, and the USA, which have a strained relationship with China. The UN adopted the reworded Declaration on September 21 2020.

FAQs on the UN75 Declaration

Q.1. What is the UN75 Declaration?

The UN75 Declaration celebrates the achievements made by the UN over its 75 years and calls for Multilateralism to achieve an equal and resilient world.

Q.2. What is the UN75 Declaration for?

The UN75 Declaration is a bid by the United Nations asking global communities to define how we can create a better world by 2045, which will be the 100th Anniversary of the UN.

Q.3. What are the demands of the countries objecting to the UN75 Declaration?

Member countries opposing the UN75 Declaration want the phrase shared vision of a common future to be omitted, as it is similar to the Chinese Communist Party's (CPC) slogan community with a shared future for mankind.

Q.4. Why did the UN75 Declaration get delayed?

The UN75 Declaration has been delayed due to a few member states not agreeing to the phrase shared vision of a common future.

Q.5. Which countries have objected to the UN75 Declaration?

The Five Eyes (FVEY), including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, have objected to a phrase in the UN75 Declaration. India is the additional country to also object to the UN75 Declaration.