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There exists a serious need today to address the processes by which global issues are addressed. In fact, it is because of the stark disagreements on how best to resolve some of the world's most complex problems that solutions have never been achieved.
The recent speech by Pope Benedict XVI to the United Nations General Assembly highlights once again the need for a broad consensus when confronting global problems. The pope pointed out that multilateral consensus was "in crisis because it is still subordinated to the decision of the few, whereas the world's problems call for interventions in the form of collective action by the international community". He also called for looking into avenues for diplomatic measures and encourage means of dialogue and reconciliation when addressing problems.
It is a fact that the world community is challenged with endless obstacles when it attempts to solve major problems. This is being caused by a variety of reasons. For one thing, the UN as an institution that is built on the principles of consensus and teamwork has become over the years a weakened entity - one that repeatedly proved to be ineffective in handling a number of crises. Also, the international set-up is characterised by major powers not abiding by the international consensus and instead acting independently.
It is a given that international affairs would always be influenced by powerful nations. But it is also important to recognise that global problems have on occasion gone out of hand because they were not addressed in a timely manner.
Given the variety of global problems faced by the world community today, it would be naive to ignore the importance of addressing them collectively and with shared efforts. World problems are blind to geographical boundaries and it is critical to address them with a global consensus.
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