One of the creations whose masterminds can today pride themselves for its existence, is the United Nations Organisation.

Though it is considered the small and poor nations’ association as far as its numerical strength is concerned, and the rich and powerful nation’s club when it comes to material and other forms of wealth, the United Nation’s organization since October 1945 when it was created , has proven that it can serve as catalyst of development, peace-keeper and vital forum for education and sensitization for development. This however depends on how member states manage the organisation to the needs of member states no matter their sizes and prowess.

During the high-level UN meeting in New York convened to assess the progress on the Millennium Development Goals launched in September 2000 to alleviate poverty and hunger while boosting socio-economic development in many other domains, the language of most , if not all delegates was common when it came to appreciation of the objectives. But as far as their achievements were concerned, the differences and levels of the goals so far attained in ten years were as varied as the sizes, populations and GDPs of member states of this great Organisation.

This is not strange considering the differences in power, means and human resources in nations of the world. It also explains why at the launch of this timely initiative, the richer nations of the organisation pledged to assist the poorer ones progress in their strategies despite the respective efforts expected of each member state of the UN. The other common aspect of the statements presented by delegates to the summit was the fear that in spite of the efforts that have been so far made by member states since the launch of the MDGs in 2OOO, it is unlikely that the targeted goals would be attained by the year 2O15 which is only sixty months away.

However, member nations’ pessimism about the attainment of the MDGs targeted objectives in five years should not, and ought indeed not discourage member nations from continuing with greater commitment to all that has been strategized to make life worth living on our beloved planet that is constantly threatened by natural disasters and man-made nightmares like terrorism and irksome wars.

The major cause for concern as could be deduced from most of the presentations by the developing nations, to be precise, those of Africa, are some of the organisations’ shortcomings which the bigger and richer nations do not seem to believe are indeed frustrating to the so-called Third World countries, especially those of Africa which from the slave trade and colonisation besides other forms of exploitation today consider their continent not given the attention it deserves.

President Paul Biya in his statement at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, 23rd September, besides regretting that Africa quite often is victim of phenomena for which it is not responsible, deplored the fact that despite the need already expressed, the continent is not yet represented by a permanent member in the Security Council of the World Body. Nigeria’s President Jonathan Goodluck harped on the same need when after expressing the urgency for reforms within the UN system to reflect global realities, deplored the exclusion of Africa from the permanent member category of the UN Security Council. That aside, the UN faces a number of challenges as concerns all that which ought to make it a genuine forum for brilliant presentations which are followed up by genuine concerted action for the realizations of projects. Protectionist tendencies that betray the noble option to bridge development gaps between the rich and poorer nations ought to be relinquished so as to give meaning to urgent matters that concern the World Body.

It is hoped that after a timely and critical appraisal of the laudable step taken in September 2000 to alleviate poverty and give development the boost it deserves, member nations of the organisation would accept and commit themselves more sincerely to all that is discussed and agreed upon to be undertaken in the interest of mankind.