Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has used her address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to call for the international community to come together amid more conflict on Earth than any time since World War II.
She warned that “so much of the human family [is] enshrouded in darkness”.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sudan. Myanmar. Yemen. Gaza. And now Lebanon,” Senator Wong said, according to a draft of her speech made available to the media.
“Brutal, degrading conflict ingraining hatred and division; pushing peace into the unseeable distance; and pulling neighbours into an endless, reflexive cycle of blame and retaliation.”
The senator said the type of world we want is further from reach because too many countries are not abiding by the rules to which member states have agreed.
“We must remember why we built this institution,” Senator Wong said.
“The UN system is where the world comes together to agree and uphold standards and rules; to protect all of the world’s peoples and the sovereignty of all nations.
“These rules always matter — never more so than in times of conflict — when they help guide us out of darkness, back toward light.”
‘Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza’
Senator Wong used her speech to stress that “Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza”.
“We know Australia is not a central player in the Middle East, but we seek to be a constructive voice for peace and the upholding of international law, including the protection of civilians,” she said.
Western nations, including Australia, have called for a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to make way for broader negotiations.