Time for a new world order – RT. Hon. Bagbin declares

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has called for a new world order aimed at managing conflicts better.

He clarified that the proposed system must be capable of delivering justice, regaining trust in the leadership of all sectors of society, providing hope and optimism for the people, and promoting peace, love, and happiness.

The Rt. Honourable Speaker also proposed a reform of the United Nations Charter, given its inadequacy in the face of current global realities, to make it more responsive, democratic, inclusive, and aligned to modern-day governance requirements and structure that will create an equitable, just, and sustainable future for all, prescribe behavior and enact enforceable laws to regulate the conduct of nations in areas where the global community is most challenged.

Rt. Hon. Bagbin was speaking at the 24th International Conference of Chief Justices from across the world, organized by the City Montessori School in Lucknow, India under the theme “Uniting the world for children through enforceable world law and effective global governance” with sixty-three (63) countries participating in the conference.

To achieve the new world order, the Rt Honourable Speaker Bagbin recommended a new global governance structure of four equal arms – the executive, legislature, judiciary, and civil society (including the media).

He argued that “the tripod of three arms of government – executive, legislature and judiciary – is not working well coupled with malfunctioning checks and balances, “checks are jerks and the balance are imbalances”.

Describing CSOs as the backbone of positive change that can contribute to transformative reforms, he urged them to hold governments and international bodies accountable for their actions.

Pressing home his point, Rt. Honourable Speaker noted “Let’s face it, legislaturealall ls l s over the world have not been able to throw light on the operations of the executive nor hold it accountable to the people; neither have legislatures succeeded in self-regulation nor post legislation scrutiny.

The proposed four world governance institutions must be truly equal, and work on the principles of checks and balances, openness, transparency, and accountability”. Rt. Hon. Bagbin admonished the participants stating "As leaders, they have a responsibility to ensure that they bequeath to the next generation an inhabitable world, that meets the aspirations of the youth, and that secures the integrity and dignity of the human race.

Touching on the contemporary global challenges, he observed that it requires concerted and urgent attention.

According to him, the depletion of the ozone layer, global water scarcity, hunger, poor sanitation, the loss of biodiversity, and the extinction of certain species due to the exponential population growth are areas that need immediate attention.

He again highlighted conflicts in the Korean Peninsula, Russia-Ukraine, the Sahel, Israel-Hamas, and issues around Artificial Intelligence (AI), and its potential existential threat to humanity.

He underscored the urgent need for the global community to prioritize laws and governance interventions that safeguard the future of children and develop mechanisms to hold governments accountable for their acts that violate children's rights such as child labor, child marriages, trafficking, and exploitation.

Speaker Bagbin seized the opportunity to encourage governments across the globe to protect children's rights and guarantee their survival and development, by upholding their legal obligations under the UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child adding, “We must ensure all children are allowed to grow, learn, and play in a safe, inclusive and caring environment, and in dignity”.

Furthermore, he advised the youth at the conference to remain optimistic and focus on developing an international community that cares for all.

“You have innovation and energy to build a better society. You are the best placed to lead this transformation. You must compel governments to consider more resilient safety nets for the vulnerable, and demand participation in government”, he admonished.