BREAKING NEWS: SIX STEPS THE U.N. MUST TAKE RIGHT NOW [Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs of Columbia University speech to the UN Security Council on the US attack on Venezuela]

BREAKING NEWS: SIX STEPS THE U.N. MUST TAKE RIGHT NOW [Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs of Columbia University speech to the UN Security Council on the US attack on Venezuela] 突發新聞:聯合國此刻必須立即採取的六項行動 【哥倫比亞大學教授 Jeffrey D. Sachs於聯合國安理會就美國攻擊委內瑞拉所發表的演說】

MR PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS of the Security Council, the issue before the council today is not the character of the government of Venezuela.

The issue is whether any member state by force, coercion, or economic strangulation has the right to determine Venezuela’s political future or to exercise control over its affairs.

This question goes directly to article 2, section 4 of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

The council MUST decide whether that prohibition is to be upheld or abandoned. Abandoning it would carry consequences of the gravest kind.

COVERT REGIME CHANGE

Let me offer some background.

Since 1947, the United States foreign policy has repeatedly employed force, covert action, and political manipulation to bring about regime change in other countries.

This is a matter of carefully documented historical record.

In her book, Covert Regime Change, political scientist Lindsey O’ Rourke documents 70 attempted US regime change operations between 1947 and 1989 alone.

These practices did not end with the Cold War. Since 1989, major United States’ regime change operations undertaken without authorization by the Security Council have included, among the most consequential:

Iraq 2003

Libya 2011

Syria beginning in 2011

Honduras 2009

Ukraine 2014 and

Venezuela from 2002 onward.

MODUS OPERANDI
The methods employed are well established and well documented.

They include:

– open warfare

– covert intelligence operations

– instigation of unrest

– support for armed groups

– manipulation of mass and social media

– bribery of military and civilian officials

– targeted assassinations

– false flag operations, and

– economic warfare.

ILLEGAL MEASURES
These measures are illegal under the UN charter and they typically result in ongoing violence, lethal conflict, political instability, and deep suffering of the civilian population.

The recent US record with respect to Venezuela is also clear.

In April 2002, the US knew of and approved an attempted coup against the government.

In the 2010s, the United States funded civil society groups actively engaged in anti-government protests. When the government cracked down on the protest, the US followed with a series of sanctions.

In 2015, President Barack Obama declared Venezuela to be, and I quote, “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States”.

In 2017, at a dinner with Latin American leaders on the margin of the UN General Assembly, President Trump openly discussed the option of the US invading Venezuela to overthrow the government.

During 2017 to 2020, the United States imposed sweeping sanctions on the state oil company Pedesa. Oil production fell by 75% from 2016 to 2020 and the real GDP per capita declined by 62%.

The UN General Assembly has repeatedly voted overwhelmingly against such unilateral coercive measures. Under international law, only the Security Council has the authority to impose such measures.

On the 23rd of January 2019, the United States unilaterally recognized Mr. Juan Gaido as interim president and a few days later froze approximately $7 billion of Venezuelan sovereign assets held abroad and gave the designated authority over certain of these assets.

These actions form part of a continuous US regime change effort spanning more than two decades.

ONE YEAR, SEVEN COUNTRIES

In the past year, the United States has carried out bombing operations in seven countries, none of which were authorized by the UN Security Council and none of which were undertaken in lawful self-defense under the charter.

The targeted countries include Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and now Venezuela.

In the past month, President Trump has issued direct threats against six UN member states, including Colombia, Denmark, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, and of course, Venezuela.

Members of the council are not called upon to judge Nicholas Maduro. They are not called upon to assess whether the recent US attack and ongoing naval quarantine results in freedom or in subjugation.

Members of the council are called upon to defend international law and specifically the UN charter….

AFFIRM SIX ACTIONS
Given that we are in the nuclear age, failure cannot be repeated. Humanity would perish. There would be no third chance to fulfill its responsibilities under the charter.

The Security Council should immediately affirm the following
actions.

– The United States shall immediately cease and desist from all explicit and implicit threats or use force against Venezuela.

– The United States shall terminate its naval quarantine and all related coercive military measures undertaken in the absence of authorization by the UN Security Council.

– The United States shall immediately withdraw its military forces from within and along the perimeter of Venezuela, including intelligence, naval, air, and other forward deployed assets positioned for coercive purposes.

– Venezuela shall adhere to the UN charter and to the human rights protected in the universal declaration of human rights.

– The Secretary General, I recommend, should immediately appoint a special envoy mandated to engage relevant Venezuelan and international stakeholders and to report back to the Security Council within 14 days with recommendations consistent with the charter and the Security Council should remain urgently seized of this matter.

– All member states should refrain from unilateral threats, coercive measures, or armed actions undertaken outside the authority of the UN Security Council.

WITHER INTO IRRELEVANCE
In closing, Mr. President and distinguished members of the council, peace and the survival of humanity depend on whether the United Nations Charter remains a living instrument of international law or is allowed to wither into irrelevance.

That is the choice before this council today.

[This is an extract of a speech Jeffrey Sachs gave to the United Nations Security Council on 5 January 2026]

突發新聞:聯合國此刻必須立即採取的六項行動 【哥倫比亞大學教授 Jeffrey D. Sachs於聯合國安理會就美國攻擊委內瑞拉所發表的演說】

主席先生、各位安理會尊敬的成員,
今日提交安理會討論的議題,並非委內瑞拉政府的性質。

真正的問題在於:任何會員國是否有權以武力、脅迫或經濟扼殺的方式,來決定委內瑞拉的政治未來,或對其事務行使控制權。

這個問題直接觸及《聯合國憲章》第二條第四款,該條明確禁止對任何國家的領土完整或政治獨立進行武力威脅或使用武力。

安理會必須決定,是要維護這一禁令,還是將其拋棄。拋棄它,將帶來極其嚴重的後果。

秘密政權更迭

讓我先提供一些背景。

自1947年以來,美國的外交政策反覆運用武力、秘密行動與政治操縱,試圖在其他國家促成政權更迭。

這是有充分歷史文獻記錄的事實。

政治學者林賽・歐魯克(Lindsey O’Rourke)在其著作《秘密政權更迭》(Covert Regime Change)中記錄指出,僅在1947年至1989年間,美國就曾嘗試進行70次政權更迭行動。

這些作法並未隨著冷戰結束而停止。自1989年以來,未經安理會授權而由美國實施的重大政權更迭行動,包括但不限於以下案例:
• 伊拉克(2003年)
• 利比亞(2011年)
• 敘利亞(2011年起)
• 洪都拉斯(2009年)
• 烏克蘭(2014年)
• 委內瑞拉(自2002年至今)

運作模式

所採用的方法早已確立,且有大量紀錄可查,包括:
• 公開戰爭
• 秘密情報行動
• 煽動社會動亂
• 支援武裝團體
• 操縱主流媒體與社交媒體
• 賄賂軍政官員
• 定點暗殺
• 偽旗行動
• 經濟戰爭

非法措施

這些行為依《聯合國憲章》皆屬非法,並且往往導致持續性的暴力、致命衝突、政治不穩定,以及平民深重的苦難。

美國近期針對委內瑞拉的紀錄同樣清楚明確。

2002年4月,美國知情並批准了一次針對委內瑞拉政府的未遂政變。

2010年代,美國資助積極參與反政府示威的「公民社會」組織。當政府對抗議活動進行鎮壓後,美國隨即實施一系列制裁。

2015年,時任總統歐巴馬宣布委內瑞拉是——我引述原話——「對美國國家安全與外交政策構成不尋常且異常的威脅」。

2017年,在聯合國大會期間與拉丁美洲領袖共進晚餐時,特朗普總統公開討論美國入侵委內瑞拉、推翻其政府的選項。

2017年至2020年間,美國對委內瑞拉國營石油公司 PDVSA(文中作 Pedesa)實施全面制裁。石油產量自2016年至2020年間下降了75%,人均實質GDP則下滑了62%。

聯合國大會已多次以壓倒性票數反對這類單方面的脅迫性措施。依國際法,只有安理會才有權實施此類制裁。

2019年1月23日,美國單方面承認胡安・瓜伊多(Juan Guaidó)為「臨時總統」,並於數日後凍結約70億美元存放於海外的委內瑞拉主權資產,並將部分資產的處置權交由其指定人士。

這些行動構成了美國持續二十多年之久的政權更迭行動的一部分。

一年、七個國家

在過去一年中,美國在七個國家實施了轟炸行動,這些行動均未獲得安理會授權,也不符合《憲章》所規定的合法自衛條件。

被攻擊的國家包括:
伊朗、伊拉克、奈及利亞、索馬利亞、敘利亞、葉門,以及現在的委內瑞拉。

在過去一個月內,特朗普總統直接威脅了六個聯合國會員國,包括:哥倫比亞、丹麥、伊朗、墨西哥、奈及利亞,當然還有委內瑞拉。

安理會成員並非被要求去裁決尼古拉斯・馬杜羅(Nicolás Maduro)的是非。
也不是要評斷美國近期的攻擊與持續中的海上封鎖究竟帶來的是自由還是奴役。

安理會成員被要求做的,是捍衛國際法,特別是《聯合國憲章》。

確認六項行動

鑑於我們身處核武時代,失敗不能再發生。人類將會滅亡,不會有第三次機會來履行《憲章》所賦予的責任。

安理會應立即確認以下行動:
• 美國應立即停止並避免一切明示或暗示的威脅,或對委內瑞拉使用武力。
• 美國應終止其海上封鎖,以及所有未經安理會授權的脅迫性軍事措施。
• 美國應立即撤出其部署於委內瑞拉境內及周邊的所有軍事力量,包括情報、海軍、空軍及其他用於脅迫目的的前沿部署資產。
• 委內瑞拉應遵守《聯合國憲章》,並尊重《世界人權宣言》所保障的人權。
• 我建議秘書長應立即任命一名特使,授權其與相關的委內瑞拉及國際利害關係方接觸,並在14天內向安理會提交符合《憲章》的建議報告;安理會亦應持續、緊急地關注此事。
• 所有會員國應避免任何未經安理會授權的單方面威脅、脅迫措施或武裝行動。

走向無關緊要

最後,主席先生、各位尊敬的安理會成員,和平與人類的存續,取決於《聯合國憲章》是否仍然是一項具有生命力的國際法工具,抑或被任其逐漸淪為無關緊要的空文。

這,正是今日擺在安理會面前的抉擇。

【本文摘自 Jeffrey Sachs 於2026年1月5日在聯合國安理會發表的演說】


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