Meeting of the Friends in Defense of UN Charter in Serbia. Photo courtesy of Twitter / @CancilleriaVE.
Among other agreements, member countries of the Friends in Defense of the United Nations Charter agreed to safeguard the principle of national sovereignty and ensure compliance with the general principles that govern the international trading system, according to information released by Venezuela’s ministry of foreign affairs.
Within the framework of the 60th anniversary of the inaugural conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Belgrade, the second meeting of the Group of Friends in Defense of the United Nations Charter was held this Wednesday, October 13. A total of 19 countries participated, following the official addition of Zimbabwe to the group formed to defend multilateralism.
In an agreement issued by the group, the signatory states expressed their concern about the systematic threats to multilateralism and the growing recourse to unilateralism, marked by arbitrary actions and approaches that violate both the United Nations Charter and the standards of international law.
#NOTICIA | Grupo de Amigos en Defensa de la Carta de la ONU adoptan declaración política en segunda reunión ministerial#13Oct #DiplomaciaDePaz https://t.co/XaTFYlzF4G
— Cancillería Venezuela 🇻🇪 (@CancilleriaVE) October 13, 2021
Likewise, the group expressed its determination to safeguard the principle of national sovereignty, and to ensure compliance with the general regulations that must govern the international trading system, and those of other relevant organizations of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The member states reaffirmed that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter are universal and indispensable, not only to preserve and promote international peace and security, the rule of law, economic development, social progress, and universal human rights, but also to achieve a more peaceful, prosperous, just, and equitable world.
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Likewise, the group reiterated its invitation to those members of the international community who are committed to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, and to effective and inclusive multilateralism.
The member nations agreed to hold periodic meetings at the ambassadorial level, in New York City, in order to improve the coordination of joint efforts, to promote the objectives of the Group of Friends, and to advance effectively in the defense of the United Nations Charter.
Representatives from Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Nicaragua, the State of Palestine, Russia, Syria, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe participated in the meeting.
The UN Charter is the first legally binding international agreement of a multilateral nature to govern international relations between states, based on respect for the principle of sovereign equality, self-determination, and non-interference in internal affairs.
Featured image: Meeting of the Friends in Defense of UN Charter in Serbia. Photo courtesy of Twitter/@CancilleriaVE.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
