Speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the United Nations Charter, Gil said: “there will be no future without peace, and there will be no peace without development, which requires, among other things, that the inalienable right to self-determination of the peoples living under foreign occupation and colony become a reality.”

He referred to the situation in Palestine and made “an urgent call for a ceasefire in Gaza; and for the end of the illegal Israeli occupation.”

“It is time to move towards the elimination of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations. It is our moral and ethical duty to conclude the decolonization processes still pending,” he added.

Gil insisted that true multilateralism and the application without double standards of the principles of the UN Charter, constitute the core of international relations and are basic for the peaceful coexistence among nations.

He also emphasized the importance of renewing the commitment to both the letter and the spirit of the UN Charter.

The Venezuelan diplomat concluded by reaffirming “our firm commitment to a future based on peace, pluralism, solidarity, development and well-being for all.”

Ied/jha/adr