South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said those responsible for violations suffered by the Palestinian and Sudanese peoples and for the war against Iran must be held accountable. Ramaphosa called for international law to be applied consistently, regardless of the state concerned.
In his address on Saturday at the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, the capital of India, Ramaphosa called for accountability for what he described as the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people, crimes committed in Sudan and the “unlawful war” against Iran.
“To give force to the law, there must be accountability for violations against the Palestinian people, crimes committed against the Sudanese people and the unlawful war against Iran,” Ramaphosa said, stressing that violations must be exposed regardless of who committed them or where they took place.
The South African president said the same principles must apply to all states and that all peoples must enjoy equal protection. He noted that South Africa and other countries had turned to institutions such as the International Court of Justice in their pursuit of justice for Palestinians.
Threat to the multilateral order
Ramaphosa said the importance of the United Nations and the continuity of the multilateral system were under threat, and objected to clear violations of the UN Charter and the resolution of disputes between states through war.
Ramaphosa said multilateral institutions and rules were increasingly being ignored and weakened, adding that this environment increased BRICS’ importance under current geopolitical conditions.
Ramaphosa said BRICS represented a vision of a world in which no country had to choose between East and West or between North and South. He said the group defended a multipolar distribution of power, development and dignity, as well as the goal of a fairer international order.
Call for Security Council reform
Ramaphosa reiterated South Africa’s call for comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council. He said Africa, despite representing the 54 African states that are UN members and about one-fifth of the world’s population, had no permanent representation on the council.
Ramaphosa said this situation was neither fair nor sustainable and called for a more representative, accountable, transparent and effective Security Council. He said BRICS should continue to speak with one voice on reform, demonstrate that multilateral cooperation could produce tangible results and build bridges across geopolitical divisions.
Ramaphosa said dialogue was more important than consensus in a fragmented world. BRICS leaders gathered in India’s capital for the 18th Summit, where the New Delhi Declaration was expected to set out a joint framework aimed at turning policy commitments into concrete action.
