The effect of the Security Council being helpless despite the war in Ukraine and Gaza Strip
Chairman Francis “Paralyzed by a world war…quick reform”
At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was held, UN Secretary-General Dennis Francis called for reform of the UN Security Council on the 16th (local time) as the war in Ukraine and the war in the Gaza Strip cast a dark cloud over the world. He said it was higher than ever.
In evaluating the Security Council, the UN’s most powerful body for peace and security, at the annual UN General Assembly debate, Secretary-General Francis said he had a deep conviction that basic and structural reform of the Security Council was necessary.
He emphasized that if things continue like this, the efficiency and credibility of the Security Council will eventually disappear more quickly.
“As violence and war continue to spread around the world, the United Nations appears paralyzed, largely due to the rifts and inefficiencies of the Security Council,” he said.
Even though the world situation is rapidly changing, he assessed that the Security Council is “dangerously lacking in capacity” in terms of its primary role and mediation role in protecting the peace and security of the international community.
“Without structural reform, the role and legitimate activities of the UN Security Council will inevitably continue to decline, and the credibility and role of the UN as a whole will inevitably decline accordingly,” Chairman Francis emphasized.
He explained that since 1979, the question of whether the UN General Assembly fairly represents the world situation has been raised, and that in the current situation of war spreading around the world, calls for reform of the Security Council are becoming stronger.
Even at the high-level debate at the General Assembly last September, the issues of Security Council reform and membership expansion ended without being on the agenda.
Even in global emergencies such as the recent Ukraine war and the Israel-Palestine crisis, the Security Council was unable to come up with a single unified opinion, which further deepened the crisis.
For example, the Security Council passed its first resolution regarding the Israeli-Palestinian war, which began on October 7, on November 15, 40 days after the war began.
Chairman Francis also criticized the UN General Assembly, saying that only clinging to Security Council decisions is an equally helpless act in resolving global chaos.
“We are already used to the situation where UN member states are not more united, but this situation cannot be made permanent. “We must somehow find a way to restore mutual trust,” he said, calling for new and creative reforms.
At the same time, regarding the reform of the UN Security Council, he said, “I hope that all UN member countries will see this as a good opportunity” and present a reasonable and efficient reform plan that can embrace the world’s diversity according to each country’s position.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.