Monthly Archives: June 2020

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Oceania isn't a mythical underwater world like the lost city of Atlantis. Instead, it's a real place, resting in the immensity of the Pacific Ocean. If you've ever spent time in Australia or New Zealand, you were in Oceania, but that's just the beginning. This unimaginably vast region stretches on for many more miles, often just bits of dry land peeking out of the great blue ocean. Here are nine things to know about it.

Oceania is an incredibly vast geographical region with boundaries that geographers can't quite agree on. It consists of Australia, and a constellation of islands, large and small, mostly located north and east of Australia. By some counts, there are roughly 10,000 such islands covering more than 100 million square kilometers (38,600,000 square miles) of ocean surface, but just over 8 million square kilometers (3 million square miles) of land.

The region's so enormous that if you include surface water and surface land, it's bigger than all the other land area on Earth combined.

Most of the islands are downright tiny and uninhabited. But others, like New Zealand and the eastern half of New Guinea, are sizable by comparison.

Oceania is so enormous that geographers break it into smaller chunks. The most common subdivisions are Australia, followed by Melanesia (from New Guinea island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to Tonga); Micronesia (more than 600 islands in the Pacific, like Palau, Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia); and Polynesia (more than 1,000 islands including New Zealand, Cook Island, Samoa and Hawaii.)

People have lived in Australia for at least 60,000 years, and they reached the Solomon Islands about 30,000 years ago. But in other tiny remote areas of Southeast Asia, humans are relative newcomers, having arrived just 1,000 years ago.

How they did so befuddles many scientists, who struggle to see how prehistoric people with few instruments could possibly navigate the vast waters separating these far-flung outposts.

Oceania is known for its cannibalistic past. In 1839, two British missionaries visited Erromango, part of the Vanuatu archipelago, which in older times was called Martyr's Island. They were devoured by the locals. Anthropologists believe that cannibalism was practiced in that area until at least 1969. One local in 2008 even gave out the recipe for cooking a human after killing (baking time is three to five hours.)

On Fiji, the practice of human flesh eating survived until at least the 1800s. The belief was that eating your enemies transferred their power to you. Even in 2011, there were reports that a German tourist was eaten in French Polynesia, though experts think it was more likely a garden-variety murder with the killer trying to burn evidence of the body. Nowadays, "cannibal tours" are offered for tourists, and souvenir shops selling "cannibal dolls" are abundant in the Pacific Islands.

Some sources estimate that sheep actually outnumber people in Oceania. Most of its landmasses are sparsely populated, but there are roughly 42 million people living there, strewn throughout 14 different countries.

Australia (25 million) makes up most of the population, followed by Papua New Guinea (9 million), New Zealand (5 million), Fiji (1 million) and the Solomon Islands (nearly 700,000). The remaining countries are Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Territories and dependencies include American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Pitcairn Island, Tokelau, and Wallis and Futuna. Niue and Tokelau are the least populated places in Oceania less than 1,700 people each.

No wonder the region is called Oceania water is Oceania's defining feature.Most of the region is under the Pacific Ocean just 8 percent is aboveground (as we said earlier 100 million square kilometers of ocean but just 8 million square kilometers of land). Given its small percentage of landmass, perhaps it's no surprise that Oceania's population density is just eight people per square kilometer (roughly three people per square mile).

Safety alert: please do not try this at home.

On the southern tip of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, the local men practice what's called Gol, or Nanggol land diving. They construct haphazard-looking stick towers, tie vines to their ankles and then jump off headfirst.

These plunges see the hurtling bodies reaching speeds of 45 mph (72 kph) or more. And the most successful dives are the ones where the men can tuck their heads at the last moment and lightly brush their shoulders against the ground, stopping just short of certain death.

Good dives ostensibly, the ones where people survive supposedly ensure a bountiful yam harvest. The event is now a tourist attraction and is considered the progenitor to modern bungee jumping, only without any safety features whatsoever ... unless you count forest vines. The country has tried to get royalties from adventure companies that apparently ripped off the practice.

As the planet warms due to climate change, rising seas are encroaching on Oceania's islands. One Polynesian island, named Tuvalu, about halfway between Australia and Hawaii is, as the locals say, "sinking."

As the waters rise, the beaches are slipping under the waves, slowly devouring this small island. Crops fail to thrive in the salty soil. Climate change-related illnesses (like ciguatera poisoning from consuming fish that eat micro-algaes expelled from bleached coral) are increasing. Tuvalu is home to 11,000 people and is the fourth-smallest country on Earth. But it may not be home to anyone in the next 50 to 100 years, or perhaps even sooner. The island of Kiribati is also "disappearing."

Oceania is home to dozens of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These sites meet stringent criteria for their importance in relation to cultural, natural or historical landmarks.

In that regard, Oceania contains an embarrassment of riches. Here, you'll find UNESCO World Heritage sites like Australia's famed (and dying) Great Barrier Reef, Hawaii's Mauna Loa (the largest active volcano on the planet), the Auckland Islands, the Sydney Opera House and Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

And how about Mount Cook National Park, which protects New Zealand's tallest mountain? There's also Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island, and the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, which preserves one of the biggest remaining oceanic wildernesses on Earth.

Due to its sheer sprawling size, Oceania includes millions of people living in starkly different circumstances. Australia and New Zealand both land in the top 10 of the United Nations Human Development Index, which shows where countries rank according to standard of living, life expectancy and other factors.

Near the bottom of the list lie Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. These are some of what the U.N. calls the Least Developed Countries. For example, the gross domestic product per capita in Australia is more than $51,000 while in the Solomon Islands it is around $2,400. New Zealanders can expect to live past 82 years on average; on Vanuatu, the average is 70 years.

Originally posted here:

9 Deep-diving Facts About the Lands of Oceania - HowStuffWorks

Gold Coast (Australia) - The Tournament Coaches Course (TCC) for female coaches concluded the 7-session workshop designed to develop future mentors and coaches in the Oceania region.

The course was completed with a Scouting Module presentation by Katrina Hibbert and was attended by Jessica Olson (Marshall Islands), Arleen Mad (Guam), Derin Stinnett (Guam), Keziah Lewis (Cook Islands), Richelle Gempton (Cook Islands), Lanieta Baleiono (Fiji), Lysa Wini (Solomon Islands), Pualele Craig (Samoa) and Natsumi Wiainebengo (New Caledonia).

"We want to thank all our participants for joining in the activities and also handling your weekly tasks to us. It's been an amazing journey and we hope to continue again soon," shared FIBA Oceania Development Manager, Annie La Fleur.

La Fleur spearheaded the webinar sessions and was supported by various esteemed female mentors that supported deliver the course over the last two months.

"We were so excited about this project and even from coaching for a long time and listening to other presenters as well, the course reinforces us that we are on the right track," shared guest presenter Lori Chizik, who discussed "Planning" in the first session.

"The big thing about coaching is building your network and it's really important to share your knowledge and help each other grow," she added.

In the final session, Fordham University Women's Basketball Assistant Coach and current Fiji national team player Valeria Nainima was invited to partake in the session with the group had encouraging statements regarding the course.

"I want to thank everyone for inviting me to this course and for taking up this advocacy of growing the game for future female coaches in the Pacific. I have learned a lot as well, I was so excited to join even if it's just for one session," Nainima said.

Nainima, who regularly scouts in the FIBA Oceania Youth Championships for the Fordham Rams reiterated her commitment to Pacific basketball and vowed to put more emphasis on international recruiting within the region.

"My passion is with Pacific basketball and always has been, this is where I learned my work ethic. We usually don't have resources, so we learn to work with what we have and tend to work harder than others," she said.

"We are very big in international recruiting and one of the things we can teach our Pacific players in the fundamentals to help develop their skills," she added.

The session ended with a thematic discussion and everyone involved praised the workshop and how it has encouraged them tobuild this network with each other.

"I enjoyed getting to know everyone over Zoom and hopefully we get to meet in person soon. I enjoyed the topics and I liked how different the tasks and how it has allowed us to grow each week," shared Olson.

"Thank you so much, everyone, it's kind of lonely because most of the time I am the only female coach in a tournament. This is inspiring for me, I feel like I am on the right track and there's a validation in this group it's exciting and nice to know I am not alone," Arlene shared.

Le Fleur and the group decided to keep in touch intermittently to check up on each other's progress and continue to build their relationships with each other.

"I am looking forward to us having meetings from time to time so we can all share the things we are doing to continue to inspire each other and lead the way in showing the importance of Women in Basketball," La Fleur ended.

FIBA

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TCC deemed a resounding success by participants - FIBA

At a time when the whole word is fighting a life and death battle against a pandemic, the way people are being rounded up and sent to jail bears part resemblance to the country of Oceania in George Orwells book 1984. We are hopeful of finding a vaccine for Covid-19, which is acting like a death warrant, soon, but liberty may not come back in public life, as we have so long known it. The new normal in democracy is frightening.

Recently, two prominent human rights activistsGautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde were arrested for their alleged involvement in Bhima Koregaon case. Police knock at the door of activists and journalists alike because they are perceived to be opposing the ideology of Hindutva or speaking up against detention of those who protest against controversial laws.

Compared to Oceania, though, India has a Constitution with a chapter on fundamental rights enforceable by the judiciary. However, when Navlakha and Teltumbde sought additional time from the Supreme Court to surrender before the trial court in the Bhima Koregaon case,the court rejected it, rescindingits own observation earlier, i.e.,bail, not jail to the accused, therebyconcurring with the government, effacing its own purpose under the Constitution. The court overlooked that the government of the day is representative of a tiny minority (considering statistical absolutes), but the judiciary represented constitution and citizens of all ideological persuasions.

In Oceania, the ruling partys ideology is socialism that rejects and vilifies every principle for which the socialist movement originally stood, and it does so in the name of socialism." Similarly, Hindutva rejects foundational principle of Hinduism, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), in the name of Hinduism.

Doublespeak

The government claimed that the CAA is neither anti-Muslim nor anti-human, though, it has no logical answers on reports of building detention camps across the country.

Oceania is a state where doublethink is the norm, which Orwell defined as the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in ones mind simultaneously and accepting both of them, such as, India is home to diverse cultures, India is a Hindu Rashtra; Gandhian principles are foundation of constitution, constitution does not reflect Indian ethos.

While at play, this doublethink becomes doublespeak that Orwell describes as, to tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just as long as it is needed. In Oceania, the ruling party members distort reality and doublethink is method to achieve it.

Presently, the followers of Hindutva are demanding doublethink from its citizens, and those who do not agree with or resist this state of cognitive dissonance are being questioned.

Mass Surveillance

In Oceania, propaganda captures mind of people by constant bombardment of manufactured statistics, stigmatising opposition, and arousing hate. Recent media coverage of Shaheen Bagh protests comesclose to, how Emmanuel Goldstein, the opposition leader in the book, isportrayedas a traitor.

In Oceania Thinkpol (thought police) is entrusted to detect, arrest, and kill thought criminals, citizens whose intellectual, mental, and moral independence challenges the political orthodoxy of Ingsoc. They spy upon the people through ubiquitous two-way telescreens. Indian governments National Intelligence Grid and facial recognition system will perform similar tasks. So, when the police raid peoples house, seizing cell phones and computers, theyalready establish guilt by thought and association as they know, with whom the seditious citizen has spoken. This is possibly going to be a new normal in new India that might find hard topass as anything but democratic.

(The author is a Melbourne-based researcher and author. He earlier taught political science in Delhi University and was the national general secretary of the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties. Views expressed are personal.)

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Orwellian Dystopia Is Here, So Is The New India - Outlook India

For 50 years the University of the South Pacific (USP) has been seen as a jewel in the crown of Pacific regionalism. With campuses in 12 island nations, about 20,000 students and 1,500 staff, USP is one of the great connective tissues for the large blue continent that is the Pacific. Its alumni have gone on to become heads of state and business leaders in all Pacific nations. As renowned University of Hawaii academic Dr Tarcisius Kabutaulaka puts it:

USP was the place where we learned to navigate the academic ocean; where we tried out ideas; where we made mistakes and learned to correct them; where we met, got to know and befriend people from other parts of Oceania; where we first fell in love and made love for the first time; where we first experienced heartbreaks; where some met our spouses; where some had our first child and buried their umbilical cord.USP is therefore a sacred place of learning and where we weave and maintain relationships across Oceania.

Over the last few weeks the status of this venerable institution has become imperilled by claims and counter-claims of corruption and infighting at the most senior levels.

The story stretches back to last year, with the arrival of outsider Professor Pal Ahluwalia to the position of Vice Chancellor following an international recruitment effort. Ahluwalia came with a reform and modernising agenda that had the support of the universitys senior management and governing council.

While senior leadership has been consumed by the scandal, the general operations of the university have struggled.

But soon after Ahluwalias arrival, a troubling report emerged in Islands Business magazine in May 2019 about allegations of serious cases of mismanagement and abuse of process at USP under the previous Vice Chancellor and current Pro Chancellor Winston Thompson. The magazine has tracked the story closely since as the two men remain at loggerheads, with claims allowances were abused by 25senior USP academics and staff, costing millions, according to a leaked account of a special audit by New Zealand accounting firm BDO that was completed in August last year. The full audit is yet to be released, with a formal commission established under the leadership of Samoas Deputy Prime Minister to implement recommendations.

While senior leadership has been consumed by the scandal, the general operations of the university have struggled. Its understood that there are anywhere from 100150 unfilled academic positions at the university. Many academics are also acting in their current roles, and teaching loads are becoming untenable, which is no doubt having an impact on the quality of education students are receiving.

The public nature of these proceedings, combined with the seriousness and breadth of allegations mounted against USP management, put Ahluwalia on a collision course with the universitys senior leadership.

This turmoil is complicated by the universitys complex governance structure. The USP is owned by 12 Pacific nations, which contribute a total 20% of its annual income. As the host nation Fiji stands out, contributing three quarters of government contributions in 2018. Foreign aid donors are also a key funder, contributing roughly the same amount as Pacific governments. In 2018 Australia contributed 13% of the Universitys income. This leaves the USP with a lot of stakeholders. The USP Council, similar to a Board of Directors where all major decisions must be taken, has 35 members spread across 14 countries.

Because USP Council only meets twice a year a smaller Executive Committee made up of roughly ten Council members, including three members of USPs existing senior leadership, is empowered to act on behalf of the Council. It is this committee that brought this showdown to a head in recent weeks. On 9 June, Ahluwalia was suspended and an investigation launched into accusations of his own apparent misconduct.

The move has thrown the university into chaos. Students and faculty at campuses across the region are protesting. The scandal is a subject of daily news items across Pacific media outlets. Police have been on campus, even hauling the chief librarian in for questioning. Pacific politicians from Samoas Fiame Naomi Mataafa to Naurus Lionel Aingimea to Australias Marise Payne have all spoken out on the matter. A special Council meeting has been arranged for this week on 19 June to weigh in on the Executive Committees controversial decision. The Council will be left with no easy options.

The Council could decide to ratify the Executive Committees decision, keeping Ahluwalia on suspension as they carry out an investigation. This would assuage the universitys senior leadership, many of whom have strong links with and support of the Fijian government. Pro Chancellor Winston Thompson in particular is regarded by many in Fiji as one of the countrys most storied public servants and diplomats. Such a move to ratify the committee decision would cast doubt on serious allegations of misconduct Ahluwalia was reported to have uncovered, generating further schisms in the university. The universitys reputation will suffer greatly, and they will struggle to recruit a high-calibre replacement.

Alternatively, the Council could refute the Executive Committees decision and reinstate the Vice Chancellor. Ahluwalia clearly has the support of the broader faculty and student body. Those that pushed for his suspension, as well as much of the remaining senior leadership, would have to take a step back, creating a significant power vacuum and leaving the university in even more disarray. The lack of faith from the senior leadership, and clear distrust from the Fiji government who have significant influence over the Executive Committee and USP Council, would still likely make his position untenable in the long-run without further Council intervention.

A third and more radical option could be to clean house at the top entirely. Acknowledging that the situation has become completely untenable, the Council could pay out Ahluwalia and the Pro Chancellor and appoint a special administrator to carry forward a reform agenda.

There are no offramps from the unmitigated mess that the universitys leadership now finds itself in. Whatever the outcome of this weeks council deliberations it will only be the start of more reforms needed to overhaul governance, management and oversight at the universitys highest levels.

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Hard knocks at University of the South Pacific - The Interpreter

The Play! Pokmon Oceania Rating Zone is being updated for the 2021 Championship Series season. This Rating Zone will now comprise only the countries of Australia and New Zealand. Players from these two countries will continue to earn Championship Points and other account-based rewards for Oceania. Players affected by these changes should visit their localized Pokmon websites for details about future events.

Players who competed in the Oceania Rating Zone during the 2020 season and who earned enough Championship Points to qualify for the Pokmon World Championships will have their qualification honored at the 2021 Pokmon World Championships. They will not be eligible for Travel Awards through The Pokmon Company International's Organized Play program.

The timing for the next live Play! Pokmon events will be determined by the health mandates, guidelines, and recommendations from appropriate government agencies to determine when the resumption of events and operations will be safe for our communities. Look forward to more details about the 2021 Championship Series season this August.

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The Oceania Rating Zone is realigning for the 2021 Championship Series season - GoNintendo

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The global textile machinery industry remained below 2018, with shipping figures last year. Textile machinery shipments showed negative in 2019. Significant decreases occurred in almost all machine segments. Deliveries of new short-staple spindles, open-end rotors, and long-staple spindles dropped by -20%, -20%, and -66%, respectively. The number of shipped draw-texturing spindles declined by -4.5% and deliveries of shuttle-less looms shrunk by -0.5%. Shipments of large circular machines contracted by -1.2%, while shipped flat knitting machines fell by -40%. The sum of deliveries in the finishing segment also dropped by -2% on average.

These are the main results of the 42nd annual International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics (ITMSS) just released by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF). The report covers six segments of textile machinery, namely spinning, draw-texturing, weaving, large circular knitting, flat knitting and finishing. A summary of the findings for each category is presented below. The 2019 survey has been compiled in cooperation with more than 200 textile machinery manufacturers representing a comprehensive measure of world production.

The total number of shipped short-staple spindles decreased by about 1.7 million units in 2019 to a level of 6.96 million. Most of the new short-staple spindles (92%) were shipped to Asia & Oceania, where delivery decreased by -20%. While levels stayed relatively small, Africa and South America saw shipments increasing by +150% and +120%, respectively. The six largest investors in the short-staple segment were China, India, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

563.600 open-end rotors were shipped worldwide in 2019. This represents a 147.500-units drop compared to 2018. 90% of global shipments went to Asia & Oceania where deliveries decreased by -21% to 517.000 rotors. Indonesia and Pakistan, the worlds 5th and 6th largest investors in open-end rotors, increased their investments by +120% and 15%, respectively. China, Vietnam, India, and Uzbekistan, the worlds 1st to 4th largest investors in 2019 decreased investment by -48% on average.

Global shipments of long-staple (wool) spindles decreased from 120.000 in 2018 to nearly 40.000 in 2019 (-66%). This effect was mainly driven by a fall in deliveries to Europe (-72%) and South America (-80%). 80% of total deliveries where shipped to China and India.

Global shipments of single heater draw-texturing spindles (mainly used for polyamide filaments) increased by +12% from nearly 22.800 in 2018 to 25.500 in 2019. With a share of 88%, Asia & Oceania was the strongest destination for single heater draw-texturing spindles. China and Chinese Taipei were the main investors in this segment with a share of 64% and 12% of global deliveries, respectively.

In the category of double heater draw-texturing spindles (mainly used for polyester filaments) global shipments decreased by -5% to a level of 464.000 spindles. Asias share of worldwide shipments decreased to 90%. Thereby, China remained the largest investor accounting for 77% of global shipments.

In 2019, worldwide shipments of shuttle-less looms decreased by -0.6% to 133.250 units. Thereby, shipments in the categories of air-jet and rapier and projectile fell by -7.7% to 30.200 and -22% to 25.000, respectively. The deliveries of water-jet looms increased by +12% to 78.000.

The main destination for shuttle-less looms in 2019 was Asia & Oceania with 95% of all worldwide deliveries. 98%, 93%, 86% of all water-jet, air-jet, and rapier/projectile looms went to that region. Bangladesh further played an important role in the rapier/projectile segment with 20% of global shipments.

Global shipments of large circular knitting machines fell by -1.2% to 26.400 units in 2019. The region Asia & Oceania was the worlds leading investor in this category with 86% of worldwide shipments. With 61% of all deliveries (i.e. 13.143 units), China was the favoured destination. India and Vietnam ranked second and third with 2.670 and 2.210 units, respectively.

In 2019, the segment of electronic flat knitting machines decreased by -40% to around 96.000 machines. Asia & Oceania was the main destination for these machines with a share of 92% of world shipments. China remained the worlds largest investor with an 80%-share despite a -44%-decrease in investments from 122.550 units to 68.760 units.

Textile machinery shipments showed negative in 2019

In the fabrics continuous segment, shipments of stenters and washing (stand-alone) grew by +34% and +0.6%. The growth in stenter deliveries is mainly explained by the addition of ITMFs estimate for the number of stenters. The total number of shipped stenters of 1.700 units thus represents an estimate of the total market for this category. In the fabrics discontinuous segment, the number of jigger dyeing / beam dyeing shipped rose by +35% to 561 units. Deliveries in all other machine categories in both finishing sub-segments (i.e. continuous and discontinuous) decreased in 2019.

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Textile machinery shipments showed negative in 2019 - Textilegence Magazine and Digital Platform

Kenya was elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council by the General Assembly for a two-year term on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 with four other countries to join the 15-member Security Council of the United Nations in 2021.

Fifteen countries sit on the Security Council, the UNs most powerful organ.

Five are permanent members, who have the right to veto resolutions: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Ten are non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms, five of them are elected each year.

Kenya joins in January 2021 with India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway. They will replace Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa. Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam will remain in the Council till the end of 2021.

The UN Security Council is the organ of the global body charged with maintaining global peace and security.

Its decisions, by law, must be obeyed by all UN member states, giving its prestige and power.

Kenyas membership of the Security Council, however, like the other ten non-permanent members, is meaningless without the necessary and long overdue reform of the UN.

Kenya is now among the 10 non-permanent members, that often worked alongside the permanent five (Russia, China, UK, US, France) to pass resolutions touching on global peace and security.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, who led the campaign to have Kenya elected to the Council, said his country would advance the pan-Africanist agenda of global peace, solidarity and multilateralism. Citing Kenyas long history of contributing troops to peacekeeping interventions, the President said Kenya had the right credentials to represent the African continent in the UNSC.

President Kenyatta spoke in the night of Tuesday June 16 during a virtual campaign meeting with permanent representatives of various countries to the UN hosted by Kenya ahead of the Security Councils elections on Wednesday June 17, 2020.

NON-PERMANENT SEATS IN THE UNSC ARE MEANINGLESS WITHOUT REFORM IN THE UN

The UN needs urgent reform. Without reforms in the General Assembly and in the Security Council, the UN will continue to serve the interests of only few people in the world. This reform needs to come within the framework of two key bodies: The General Assembly and the Security Council.

The Security Council requires expansion to cater for Africa, Latin America and Oceania. These are three regions of the world that were ignored when the Security Council was created on 24 October 1945. Latin America was perceived to be within the sphere of influence of the United States. From the historical precedent of the Monroe Doctrine, it was assumed that Latin Americas interests would be handled by the United States in the UN.

Africa, on its part, was assumed to have its interests covered mainly by the United Kingdom and France. These were the two major powers with vast control over the continent in 1945. The contemporary global order in 2020 has changed.

China was seen as a representative for the interests of Asia and Oceania in the 1945s. With these notions and assumptions now changed, there is the need also to reallocate seats in the Security Council and the power to be heard by majority vote without any veto by any single member.

There is a pressing need to have at least two permanent seats on the Security Council for Africa, two permanent seats for Latin America and two for Oceania region. Or the permanent members can remain the five, with ten members joining to serve two-year term as it is at the moment, but without veto rights from the permanent members. All draft resolutions should have equal rights and should be adopted by majority vote.

The veto power of the permanent members of the Security Council enables them to individually cripple the ability of the UN to enforce its Charter. Specifically, Chapter 7 of the UN Charter to tackle threats to the peace, breaches of the peace and acts of aggression. A veto from any permanent member of Security Council, will block the adoption of a draft resolution.

The number of the permanent members or the current rotation of non-permanent members and a simple majority vote without veto from the permanent members are required to make the UNSC more effective, representative and meaningful body of the world.

Expansion of the number of permanent seats on the Security Council or hold on to the current structure, coupled with a simple majority vote of the council on a draft resolution, without any veto power, will make the organization effective and allow it to have the bite required to handle the plethora of global issues facing the international community.

Currently, the population of all five permanent members on the Security Council is just over 2 billion. One country, China, makes up almost 70% of the 2 billion population of all five permanent members. Two billion represents less than 30% of the global population of 7 billion. Yet this minority of 2 billion uses the UN to dictate international policy to 70% of the rest of the world. This is undemocratic and against the tenets of fairness and international justice.

Africa has a population of 1.3 billion as at May 2020 or 16.72% of the total world population with no permanent membership or veto power in the UNSC; Latin America and the Caribbean is 654 million or 8.42% of the total world population with no membership or power. Oceania is only 42 million or 0.54% of the total world population.

Europe is 748 million or 9.78% of the total world population, and with two members and two veto powers; Asia is 4.6 billion or 59.76% of the total world population, but with one member and veto power; Russia is a country of its own with a population of 146 million or 1.87% of the total world population, a permanent member with veto power.

United States of America does not represent the interest of all the Americas. Currently, the USA has become more nationalistic, fighting for its own interests on global scale and representative for the gulf states and middle-eastern countries than global. The USA does not care for the interests of Middle and South Americas, rather it seeks to elect a wall to confine itself.

UK and France cannot represent Africa, they can represent Europe, but not Africa. Africa has long gained independence from these two colonial masters. For UN to maintain the idea of UK and France representing Africa is an insult to the continent and its people.

1945 is long ago. The 21st Century Africa is not colonial slaves of UK and France, unless the UN wants to remain in its resolution that Africa is still colonized by UK and France.

The UN General Assembly should make all the papers read year by year by all the member nations resolutions that require further and urgent consideration by a working committee of the UN for action and implementation. Until now the messages read by the member states are only ceremonial, decorative and a waste of time.

As at now, the UN General Assembly can only make recommendations to the Security Council, which can easily be vetoed or disregarded by any permanent member of the Security Council; United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom or France.

United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom and France are not good representation of the globe whose votes and vetos should determine the fate of the rest of all the people in the world. The Security Council needs to be democratised to accommodate a majority of the world that is still peripheralised in the decision making of the Council.

The UN must be modernized. The world in 1945 was quiet different from the world in 2020. In 1945, United States, Europe and the two Communist Blocks of Russia and China were the world. In 2020, there are six main blocks forming the globe; these are North America Block, South America Block, Europe Block, Asia Block, Africa Block and the Oceania Block. Each should be represented permanently in the Security Council.

Lastly, in relation to the General Assembly, the resolutions passed by this arm, which includes a majority of the worlds nations, need to be binding. Currently, General Assembly resolutions are considered recommendations. In contrast, resolutions adopted by the Security Council under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, are binding.

The General Assembly not only represents the majority of the worlds population, but also represents majority world opinion on major international issues.

Currently, non-permanent rotating membership seats on the Security Council are provided to developing nations like Kenya, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam. This comes across as contemptuous tokenism. It does not afford the weaker nations of the world an avenue to advance their interests.

Developing nations are played off against each other by major powers based on the allure of an ineffective non-permanent seat. There is nothing to celebrate over a non-permanent seat on the Security Council under the current UN structure.

Member states elected to be non-permanent members of UNSC only have a moment and national pride to celebrate, but nothing to offer to bring a change of global policies concerning peace and stability. For the vast majority of the world, especially in the developing world, the UN will remain a forum for empty speeches by heads of state that are turgid and needlessly self-congratulatory. The time for UN reform is now.

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United Nations Must Be Reformed - Modern Ghana