Harare hosts UN Charter Group of Friends talks after Zimbabwe UNSC win

Harare hosts UN Charter Group of Friends talks after Zimbabwe UNSC win

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Zimbabwe is hosting the fourth meeting of National Coordinators of the Group of Friends in Defence of the United Nations Charter in Harare, bringing together delegates for high-level discussions on international law and multilateral cooperation.

The meeting is being held in line with Zimbabwe’s foreign policy doctrines, “A Friend to All and Enemy to None” and “Zimbabwe will Forever be a Sovereign and Independent State”, according to information published by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).

Delegations from several countries, including Iran, Nicaragua, Palestine and China, are attending the talks, which focus on strengthening adherence to the UN Charter and reinforcing collective approaches to international challenges.

Opening the meeting, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Prof Amon Murwira said the UN Charter, established in 1945, must be defended and adapted to reflect current geopolitical realities.

“The meeting must reaffirm our unflinching opposition to the use of unilateral coercive measures based on arbitrary and selfish justifications,” Murwira said.

He said Zimbabwe welcomes what it described as the Group’s “unwavering resolve” to advocate for the “complete, immediate and unconditional lifting of all unilateral coercive measures and blockades imposed outside the framework of the United Nations Security Council”.

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Murwira urged what he called a “strategic and evidence-based approach” to advocacy, saying it should be informed by data, legal analysis and lived experiences to show the humanitarian and developmental impact of unilateral measures on citizens in sanctioned countries.

He added that, for Zimbabwe, effective multilateralism rests on the sovereign equality of states, respect for non-interference in internal affairs and the peaceful settlement of disputes, referencing Article 2(1) of the UN Charter.

“Now more than ever, the world needs Member States committed to the defence of the Charter of the United Nations, its purposes and principles, the upholding of international law, and the promotion of genuine multilateralism,” Murwira said.

The meeting follows Zimbabwe’s victory at the United Nations Security Council elections held on 3 June, which Government has described as a significant diplomatic achievement.

The Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations is an 18-member grouping established in July 2021 at the UN in New York and in 2023 at the UN in Geneva. The group says it aims to preserve, promote and defend the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including sovereign equality of states, non-interference, peaceful settlement of disputes, and diplomacy over unilateral action.

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