KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations Security Council, whose members often hold conflicting views, has become “ineffective” in addressing many of the world’s crises, said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Reiterating his call for reform, the UN chief said the council’s five permanent members have used their veto powers to serve their own interests, which has eroded the global intergovernmental organisation’s credibility.
He said the core challenge lies in the deep rifts among the world powers that make up the UN’s primary body for maintaining international peace and security.
“It is true that the Security Council is largely paralysed in relation to key issues … and the reason is divisions among superpowers,” he said.
“People should call a spade a spade and attribute responsibilities to (them).”
The five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – any of them can block any resolution. There are also 10 members elected on a regional basis every two years but they have limited privileges. Guterres described this structure as outdated and unrepresentative of the modern world.
“We need to reform the Security Council. (It has) three European permanent members, one Asian … no African, no Latin American. The composition needs to change and to adapt to what is today’s reality,” he said.
The UN chief was speaking to CNA on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (Oct 27), where conflicts in Myanmar, Gaza and the South China Sea were among the topics discussed.
MYANMAR CRISIS
At the summit, ASEAN leaders renewed calls for Myanmar’s military junta to end the bloodshed and make progress on the Five-Point Consensus, a peace plan that includes facilitating dialogue among conflicting parties and allowing aid to reach those affected.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/asean-summit-united-nations-secretary-general-antonio-guterres-interview-reforms-5429176
