UN Secretary-General Highlights Security Council’s Issues

(MENAFN) On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres acknowledged significant concerns regarding the legitimacy and effectiveness of the Security Council, noting that its structure no longer reflects the current global reality.

Speaking at a news conference in Malaysia during a summit of Southeast Asian nations, Guterres stated, "It is clear the Security Council has a problem of legitimacy and the problem of effectiveness. Legitimacy, because its composition no longer corresponds to the reality of today's world."

Guterres pointed out the disproportionate representation within the council, which includes three permanent European members—France, the UK, and Russia—yet only one permanent Asian member and none from Latin America or Africa.

This, according to Guterres, highlights the disconnect between the council’s composition and the contemporary global landscape.

"This shows that the Security Council also doesn't correspond at all to the world of today. That is why it's so important to have an African representation of two permanent members. That's also important to have an increase in the permanent representatives from Asia," he emphasized.

In addition to issues of representation, Guterres also raised concerns about the council’s effectiveness, specifically citing the veto power as a major obstacle.

He mentioned that the UK and France have already proposed limiting the veto in certain situations.

"The second, there is a problem of effectiveness, and the main element that complicates the effectiveness is indeed the veto power. Two of the countries, the UK and France, have presented the proposal to limit the veto power in a certain number of circumstances," Guterres explained.

Finally, the Secretary-General urged members of the Security Council to “seriously consider” the proposals to reform its structure and decision-making processes.

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