MOSCOW, October 24. /TASS/. The mechanisms established by the UN Charter allowed the world to resolve many acute issues and not slip into the abyss of World War III, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev wrote in his article published on Saturday on RT website on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations.
"Despite all the problems and crises that the United Nations and its member states have faced over these years, it is hard to disagree that it is largely thanks to the international legal and political mechanisms established by the UN Charter that we managed to avoid plunging into an all-out third world war and deal with many critical issues when shaping the post-war world order," Medvedev believes.
According to him, the UN bodies "have put in a lot of work to make the world step back from the abyss, to launch mechanisms for settling conflicts within a legal framework". Thus, disarmament, reduction, and elimination of all stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction constitute one of the main goals of the United Nations, Medvedev noted.
"Today there is an urgent need for us to continue working towards this end. We hope that the UN Security Council will hold a face-to-face summit of the nuclear five to discuss the most pressing problems of humankind," he said.
According to Medvedev, the issue of prolongation of the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the New START Treaty) also needs to be promptly resolved. "We have already articulated our position concerning the extension of this crucial document," he said.
He noted, "At the same time, we need not only to ensure reduction of the existing arms but also to minimize the risks of possible new threats. In this vein, Russia has declared a moratorium on deployment of new missile systems in Europe and other regions. We expect to see our Western partners take reciprocal steps. We also call for conclusion of a legally binding agreement with all space powers to place a comprehensive ban on militarization of space".
The role of the United Nations
Attempts to undermine the role of the United Nations and create an alternative club of countries only divide humanity and lead to conflicts, Medvedev added.
"Attempts to undermine the role of the UN and establish a certain "community (club) of democratic nations" instead of it are also of particular concern. Such ideas do not unite but divide humanity, contribute to international tensions and ultimately lead to direct confrontation. The United Nations was created alongside the development of the human rights concept and the humanistic turn in inter-state cooperation in all kinds of fields," he said.
According to Medvedev, "human rights issues have now permeated almost all agendas of UN bodies, from environment and personal data protection to cybersecurity and biotechnology. Today, every state has legal safeguards in place against discrimination, torture, inhumane treatment and arbitrary interference in private life".