Former General Assembly head speaks on 'revitalizing' UN

By Ethem Emre Ozcan

ANTALYA, Turkiye (AA) - A former president of the UN General Assembly has spoken at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) on the shortcomings of the UN and efforts to reform it.

At the panel on Saturday, "Revitalising multilateralism: UN and beyond," Volkan Bozkir highlighted the importance of UN bodies, stating that more than 200,000 people worked for the UN.

"You can travel anywhere with the UN flag, but you can't do that with the NATO flag, the US flag, or the flag of any state," said the 75th president of General Assembly.

"However, for the past 20 to 30 years I haven't heard of any success stories from UN's policy area," Bozkir added.

He pointed out the obstacles that the UN Security Council (UNSC) faced, saying that one or two countries on the body could block any motion.

"If you want to restructure the UNSC, it must be decided within the UNSC again," he said.

Arguing that the structure of the UN lacks neutrality and that it needs reforms, Bozkir said the international organization had become dependent on those countries that paid its budget.

The three-day high-level Antalya Diplomacy Forum in the resort city of Antalya has brought together participants from 75 countries, including 17 heads of state, 80 government ministers, and 39 representatives of international organizations. Anadolu Agency is the event's global communications partner.