The 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly is well underway in New York. Top on the agenda is global security, especially in light of North Korea’s missile tests and President Donald Trump’s sable rattling and threats.

It has been always said that the UN is a place to talk shop but with little outcomes; be it to implement resolutions or act independent of its main donors who really call the shots.

One interesting side event at the General Assembly is that a book has been opened seeking signatures to ban nuclear weapons. That is just one of the futile exercises that occupy the UN secretariat; as long as the veto wielding powers, – who also happen to be nuclear powers – are not convinced, then it was a waste of time for those who drafted the treaty.

Peace and security is never off the agenda but many member countries come to the table with their own interests in their luggage. An example is when the agenda was being drawn and put to the vote prior to the General Assembly. It was interesting to observe that some countries did not want Responsibility to Protect (R2P) to be discussed.

It refers to responsibility to protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

One just needs to cast an eye on countries that voted against it to get the whole picture. Do some countries really believe in what they preach?

What all this comes to is that sometimes it is better to chart one’s own course, according to one’s priorities, capabilities and the interests of their people. That is the road this country has chosen and so far its people are not complaining.