UNGA President Cannot Reform the United Nations: Dr Ahmed Abdulla Didi

The President of the United Nations General Assembly does not have the right to reform the United Nations, said Dr Ahmed Abdulla Didi, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Dr Didi mentioned this in relation to President Solih's discussion with Abdulla Shahid; the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly; regarding what could be done to reform the United Nations. Abdulla Shahid is currently visiting the Maldives in his capacity as UNGA President.

In a tweet published yesterday, Dr. Didi had stated that there was nothing wrong in the Maldives wishing to reform the United Nations. However, he said, a position with a term of a single year does not have the sufficient power to bring about such reform in the United Nations.

He pointed out that the regulations of the United Nations General Assembly were very clear that reform of the United Nations was a power granted only to its member-states, and not to the President of the General Assembly. He also pointed out that the regulations were clear that such reform could only be carried out with the support of a permanent member-state of the UN Security Council.

Dr Didi is a legal scholar who had earned his PhD in International Law.