Uganda’s candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, Ambassador Olara Otunnu, has called for sweeping reforms of the world body, stronger intervention in armed conflicts and greater efforts to ensure emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence benefit all of humanity.
Otunnu made the case for his candidacy on Wednesday during an interactive dialogue with the UN General Assembly in New York, where he outlined his vision for an organisation he said was facing profound global upheavals, economic fractures, threats to human rights and rapid technological change.
He said the UN must remain anchored in its three core pillars of peace and security, human rights and sustainable development, while adapting its priorities to the changing global environment. “At no time has this mission been more essential than today,” Otunnu told delegates, describing the current period as one of “profound upheaval and radical changes” marked by growing threats to international peace and security.
Otunnu said resolving major conflicts around the world would be a particular priority if he became Secretary-General, citing the wars and crises in Ukraine, Gaza, the Great Lakes region of Africa, Sudan, Iran, the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. He said the Secretary-General should play a more active role in conflict situations by engaging directly with the parties and seeking opportunities for mediation.
“These conflicts must constitute a particular priority for the Secretary-General. Engaged, present, probing, listening, seeking opportunities to suggest a way out,” he said. Otunnu acknowledged that the ultimate decisions would remain with the parties to conflicts and other major players but said the UN could not afford to remain passive.
He was particularly concerned about the impact of conflicts on civilians, noting that women and children were disproportionately affected. “One of the most disturbing features of the situations I refer to is the fact that innocent civilians, particularly women and children, are disproportionately affected by these conflicts,” he said. On human rights, Otunnu proposed rebuilding international consensus by returning to the principles contained in the UN Charter.
He argued that the organisation’s human rights agenda would only retain broad legitimacy if it avoided political manipulation and took greater account of different cultural and social contexts. “For a human rights approach to be credible and enjoy broad legitimacy, every effort must be made to guard against politicization, instrumentalization, and the intrusion of ideology in our pursuit of human rights,” he said.
Otunnu also called for greater recognition of traditions and cultures that promote human dignity, respect and social cohesion. “The UN must better understand and acknowledge the deep traditions and cultures of human dignity, respect, and social cohesion that exist in many societies,” he said. Otunnu made UN reform a central part of his pitch, arguing that the organisation cannot continue operating under existing structures and practices.
“For the United Nations to discharge the responsibilities set out in the Charter, let me say this clearly and simply. Reform is no longer an optional choice. It is an imperative,” he said. He warned that failure to reform could put the institution at serious risk. “Without it, the institution is at grave risk. We cannot continue to do business as usual,” Otunnu said. He backed the ongoing reform initiative under UN80, but said reform should go beyond a one-off programme and become a permanent feature of the organisation.
“The reform initiative subsumed under UN 80 must not only be continued as a priority of the Secretary-General but be a continuous process that becomes part of the DNA, the outlook, the culture of the organization,” he said. Otunnu also placed artificial intelligence and technological advances at the centre of his vision, arguing that the UN should harness their potential while addressing the risks they pose.
He said AI could transform human welfare by contributing to the prevention and treatment of diseases and helping lift millions of people out of poverty through financial and digital inclusion. At the same time, he acknowledged concerns that autonomous systems and AI could develop in ways that threaten humanity. “As Secretary General, I would put priority on harnessing the incredible force which is being unleashed by artificial intelligence to make this a force for good for the entire world community with access and benefit for all,” he said.
Otunnu also drew on his experience in northern Uganda, where he said he had spent the past five years working on efforts to rebuild communities affected by the more than two-decade Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency. He said the experience had given him a practical understanding of peacebuilding beyond international institutions. “I have some idea what peacebuilding means at the ground level,” Otunnu said.
He argued that UN policies developed at its headquarters and other international centres should be followed through to assess their actual impact on communities. “I believe that the United Nations should make it its business to enunciate policies and standards from New York and Geneva and Vienna but also follow up to see the impact on the ground at the national and community level,” he said.
Otunnu said his candidacy was also based on experience spanning all three pillars of the UN’s work, as well as a record of consensus-building and finding solutions during crises and deadlocks. “What I offer if I’m given the opportunity to be Secretary General is a broad and very deep experience of working across all three pillars of the UN,” he said. He ended his presentation by invoking the prayer attributed to St Francis of Assisi, saying its message reflected the kind of leadership he would bring to the position.
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love,” Otunnu quoted. He pledged to approach the position with the same “passion” and “commitment” he had demonstrated throughout his previous leadership roles-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
