UN And Global Challenges

For most part of last week, the United
Nations General Assembly met in
New York to take a holistic look at some of the challenges facing the world.
At the well-attended meeting, heads of various governments and diplomats took turns to address some of the challenges which include terrorism, climate change, Ebola epidemic and the re-emergence of  a cold war  situation between Eastern and Western countries of the world.
Only days into the meeting, the world body raised $ 200 billion for clean energy, while more countries committed to the United States of America USA-led bombing of Islamist militants targets in Syria and Iraq. This level of commitment is unprecedented.
That the leadership of the United States is rising to these global challenges is most commendable. Being one of the leading pollutants of the world, very few persons expected the USA to push for clean energy the way it turned out. But more exciting is its diplomatic maturity that legitimised the bombing against ISIS.
The Tide particularly finds it heart-warming that the United Nations (UN) is committed to achieving global peace, especially its efforts at tackling  the orgy of violence in Iraq, Syria and some other troubled spots of the world. We also commend the global body for recognising the need to tackle the problems of climate change and its decisions to adopt clean energy as a way out.
While we commend the leadership of the UN for taking these proactive measures, especially against the backdrop of avoidable violence and divisiveness, its eye on the  new demons of terrorism, climate change, Ebola epidemic and problems associated with the social media and modern technology,  is quite remarkable.
We expect also that mankind will find lasting solutions to terrorism and religious fundamentalism that are currently threatening global peace and security. The UN must, as a matter of urgency, stop people from using the name of God to justify the unspeakable brutality in places like Iraq, Syria and some African countries.
It is indeed shameful that some persons would be using all they have to intimidate and even kill innocent persons, when global warming and diseases are threatening human existence. Since the UN has brought this to the table, all countries need to commit to these issues that make enemy with all men.
Like other diseases before it, the world must find a cure, even vaccine for Ebola because of its high mortality rate. Even so, the three West African Countries that are still battling with the disease need all the support they can get to ensure that Ebola was not only contained, but crushed.
The UN will be expected to do a lot more following the kind of unthinkable things that now come up across the globe. But the UN must do some kind of self examination, especially concerning the un-ruly behaviour of some of the security council members. The point must be made that the time when might was right is over.
The Tide also believes that the clean energy the world now wants to achieve may amount to very little if the needed sanctions and/or assistance is not applied where necessary. If the West is able to achieve clean energy and the developing world fails to do the same, the world will still be in danger.
Even as the world must cooperate in this direction, countries like Nigeria should put an end to gas flaring and the poor public electricity system that makes the use of electricity generators a national culture. This has become imperative because its realization would also boost the economy and raise the quality of life of the average Nigerian.