On Saturday, a message on the period the United Nations needs before intervening in a country where there has been ongoing protests went viral on social media platforms.
In a tweet, Harvey Funmilayo, a United Kingdom-based Nigerian doctor and Twitter influencer had said the UN cannot intervene in a country if protests have not exceeded 30 days.
Funmilayo has over 200,000 followers on Twitter.
“I just heard according to UN Constitution any protest that reaches 30days will make UN intervene in that country. The Nigeria govt knows this. Many young people don’t know it.
EXCEPT the govt makes visible tangible immediate changes, #EndSARS protests MUST GO ON. Tell others,” Funmilayo tweeted.
The post was shared by many social media users, who advocated for widespread participation in the ongoing #EndSARS protest.
On the third day of the protest, Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police (IGP), disbanded SARS and President Muhammadu Buhari said the dissolution of SARS was a first step in improving the operations of the police.
But the protesters refused to leave the streets, insisting that more concrete steps must be taken in reforming the police.
Social media has been the force behind the protest as coordination and dissemination of information are done there, but are all the information on the protest correct?
BUT IS THIS CLAIM TRUE?
The UN does not have a “constitution”, but a charter. According to article 2 (7) of the purposes and principles of the organisation, as contained in the charter, the UN does not intervene in matters of domestic jurisdiction of any country.
“Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter Vll,” the document reads.
The UN deals with matters related to the maintenance of international peace and security, which are being dealt with by the organisation’s security council.
Hence, the claim that the UN will intervene in any country where a protest extends for a 30-day period is FALSE.
