Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a speech on Monday at the first ever World Humanitarian Summit, which is being held in Turkish metropolitan city of İstanbul, described the current humanitarian system as inadequate for solving urgent problems.
Turkish President said that only certain countries were sharing the burden of the humanitarian crisis.In his speech Erdoğan said now everybody should take on responsibility on this issue.
Erdoğan said that while needs were increasing day by day, the funds were not increasing at the same rate.
Turkish President also noted that they see some difficulties and tendencies of evading the responsibility by the international community over aid financing. Continuing his speech Erdoğan said Turkey is a country that knows this weakness and experiences it in a bitter way. Turkish President noted also that while Turkey has spent around $10 billion on humanitarian aid for around 3 million refugees on its soil since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, the international community spent around $455 million.
Erdoğan said the humanitarian summit should be a turning point in aid financing.
United Nations Security Council reform
In his speech Turkish President also said United Nations Security Council (UNSC) needed urgent reforms in order to fulfill its functions. Moreover, Erdoğan called for the use of veto by the council’s five permanent members to be limited.
Erdoğan stated that As Turkey, we have done our best to contribute to the five core responsibilities that Mr. Secretary General.
Turkish President noted that these responsibilities include: preventing and ending conflict; respecting the rules of war; addressing forced displacement; achieving gender equality; responding to climate change; ending the need for aid; and investing in humanity.
But Erdogan urged a change in the UN Security Council, of which the five permanent members are Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Each of these members has the power to veto, allowing them to block draft council resolutions — even when these have broad international support.
Erdoğan said for the Security Council to fulfill its main functions, we need urgent reform.
“The use of veto should be limited,” Turkish President added.
World Humanitarian Summit
During the World Humanitarian Summit, attended by 125 of the UN’s 193 member states, at least 50 heads of government will announce several commitments to reduce humanitarian disasters.
The summit comes as the Syrian civil war enters its sixth year, as Europe is facing the worst refugee crisis since World War II, and as global social inequality has reached a peak amid a rising population.
Hosted by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, world leaders of UN member states, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, are gathering in Turkey’s largest city Monday and Tuesday.