Zimbabwe is hosting the Fourth Meeting of National Coordinators of the Group of Friends in Defence of the United Nations Charter in Harare, where delegates from several countries have gathered to discuss ways of strengthening international cooperation and upholding the principles of the UN Charter.
The meeting brings together representatives tasked with advancing collective efforts to promote multilateralism and reinforce respect for international law within the global system.
Representatives from countries including Iran, Nicaragua, Palestine and China are attending the high-level meeting, which seeks to promote multilateralism, respect for international law and collective responses to global challenges.
Opening the meeting, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the United Nations Charter, established in 1945, remains a vital instrument for maintaining peace, security and cooperation among nations.
He stressed the need to defend its principles while ensuring that it remains relevant to contemporary global realities.
Professor Murwira reaffirmed the group’s opposition to unilateral coercive measures imposed outside the framework of the United Nations Security Council, saying such measures have significant humanitarian and developmental consequences for affected countries.
“The meeting must reaffirm our unflinching opposition to the use of unilateral coercive measures based on arbitrary and selfish justifications. Zimbabwe has continued to welcome the unwavering resolve of the Group to continue advocating for the complete, immediate and unconditional lifting of all unilateral coercive measures and blockades imposed outside the framework of the United Nations Security Council,” he said.
He called for evidence-based advocacy informed by legal analysis, data and lived experiences to demonstrate the impact of such measures on ordinary citizens.
Professor Murwira also highlighted the importance of effective multilateralism, saying it is founded on the sovereign equality of states, non-interference in internal affairs and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
“For Zimbabwe, effective multilateralism, as enshrined in Article 2(1) of the Charter of the United Nations, rests on the sovereign equality of all States, as well as the respect for non-interference in their internal affairs,” he said.
The meeting comes shortly after Zimbabwe secured a landslide victory in the United Nations Security Council elections held on June 3, a development that has further elevated the country’s profile in international diplomacy.
Established in 2021, the Group of Friends in Defence of the United Nations Charter is an 18-member coalition committed to promoting the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The group advocates for sovereign equality, peaceful dispute resolution, respect for international law and the use of diplomacy and multilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges.
