In line with preparing the G7 summit of heads of state and government, scheduled to be held from 11 to 13 June in the United Kingdom, the G7 foreign ministers have discussed a wide range of vital geopolitical challenges, such as relations with China, Iran and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
On Tuesday, the G7 foreign ministers (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union) met in London for their first face-to-face talks in more than two years, with calls for urgent joined-up action to tackle the most pressing global threats.
The issues of Myanmar, the Indo-Pacific situation, the crises in Libya, Syria, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sahel and Western Balkans were discussed in the meeting. Moreover, relations with Russia and the crises in Ukraine and Belarus, and Afghanistan had got priority in the talks. Apart from this, the latest situation in North Korea was also focused there.
“We do not want a world permanently divided into rivalling blocs. ……Our goal is to build a post Covid-19 global multilateral framework based on democratic values and fundamental rights already recognised by the United Nations in 1948,” Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, made the observation in the G7 meet.
Among super powers the world is divided. It is no use denying it. The Western democracies can help humanity to win by helping aspirations of democracy in third world countries. The world of communism cannot survive with respect for human rights and democratic values. The West’s effort to see human rights in Russia, China or North Korea is a waste of energy.
The communism will not survive by the success of democracy in the rest of the world. Because former President Mr Trump’s America First policy was helpful for many of the third world countries to establish gun dictatorship with clear encouragement of Russia and China.
China poured money and made corrupt these governments to build close engagement. The human rights or democracy was no consideration for its cooperation. Thus directly or indirectly it supported gun politics of revolutionary style. Killing of people or keeping in jail has been easy for lack of influence of Western democracies.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab prompted calls for more concentrated international action, including mass availability of vaccines. On the other hand, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reaffirmed US commitment to the “international rules-based order” to tackle issues ranging from climate change to post-pandemic recovery with emphasizing the need for a common stance.
Mr Borrell in his blog further said: “In addition ……, we also talked about freedom of media, religion and belief, the fight against arbitrary detentions, cyber governance and internet shutdowns, sanctions and the fight against disinformation and foreign interference.”
The EU representative rightly indicated that freedom of speech is the concept of the inherent human right to voice one’s opinion publicly without fear of censorship or punishment. This right is preserved in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is also formally recognized by the laws in most countries.
But the reality is that — in many countries there is no freedom of speech or freedom of expression. If a few countries allow such freedom, it varies greatly from one nation to another in practice. Especially, the authoritarian governments enforce restriction where censorship is frequently occurred and they often apply repressive laws like Digital Security Act, etcetera.
The Democracy Index data given on March 30 this year showed that North Korea was the world’s least democratic country in 2020 while Syria got the far bottom position. It clears that, democracy is in retreat – from Myanmar to Syria and Somalia to Russia. As a result there is no freedom of expression in those countries.
There are several countries, including Myanmar, North Korea and Russia where the unelected, unpopular authoritarian and corrupt governments use guns to stay in power for a longer period. The guns those purchased by the people’s money are used against the people to suppress their voice.
In the post-Covid situation there is a probability of changing the world. Western democracies will have to play a strong role to ensure justice and the rule of law to make the world safer against Myanmar type China backed brutal gun rule. Once gun rule is established without counter gun struggle that is not the way to build a peaceful world order.
