By S’thembile Cele.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the United Nations to reassert itself in global affairs to safeguard democracy that’s under threat from resurgent nationalism, conflict and widening inequality.
Ramaphosa’s remarks highlight a broader push by emerging economies to challenge what they see as selective enforcement of global rules by major powers.
Fellow Brics members Brazil and India have repeatedly called for reform of the UN, while China has previously accused the US and other western nations of applying double standards to international law.
“For democratic values to thrive, all institutions of global governance need to be reformed so that all the countries and peoples of the world are represented, “Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter published on Monday.
“It has become clear that bodies like the UN Security Council are powerless to intervene in conflicts and prevent genocide.”
Ramaphosa linked the erosion of global governance to a broader ideological shift, warning that “the principles of solidarity, cooperation and friendship are being challenged by the resurgence of narrow nationalism, prejudice, racism and intolerance.”
The statement echoed a speech he gave at the Global Progressive Mobilisation Plenary hosted by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Barcelona at the weekend, where he delivered a sweeping critique of the international system, warning that the rules underpinning global governance are being eroded even as conflicts intensify.
He also pointed to conflicts including the war in Gaza, framing them in stark terms.
“The resurgence in unlawful wars of aggression and genocide in places like Palestine are linked to the ideologies of supremacy,” Ramaphosa said.
© 2026 Bloomberg.