UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis has appealed to members of the world body to resolve the impasse on Security Council reform through dialogue. He said that the United Nations Security Council seems to be stuck in a worrying situation. Its objective is to fulfill the predominance of the Global North countries.
The need for such a council…
He underlined the need for representation and equal participation of developing countries in decision-making in the Council. It was also emphasized that improvement is our collective responsibility. Francis said, ‘As President of the 78th session of the General Assembly, I believe that we need a Council that is more balanced, more representative, more accountable, more democratic and more transparent.’
War seems to be breaking out all over the world
Speaking at a conference of the Global South Think Tank on Security Council Reform, he said that war seems to be breaking out across the world. In such a situation, the Security Council seems to be stuck in a worrying situation. It is believed that the Council is not fulfilling its purpose. As a result, the credibility of the entire United Nations is at risk. The UNGA chief said that to bring about improvement, member countries will have to find a solution to the issue through dialogue.
The council should democratize
India’s Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj described the current structure of the Council as anachronistic, which has failed to adapt to changes in international relations over the past decades. He said that the countries of the Global North have predominance in the permanent membership of the Security Council, this has to be changed. The Council should not only expand but also democratize by ensuring that non-permanent members also have a significant role in decision-making processes.
There is a need to strengthen the voice of the Global South
Austria’s Permanent Representative Alexander Marschik, who co-chairs the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) for Council reforms, said there is a strong consensus that the voice of the Global South needs to be strengthened in the Security Council.
The ability of the Council to correct the distortions…
Samir Saran, president of the Observer Research Foundation, which organized the conference, said that when considering reforms, we should reconsider how the General Assembly should strive and the Council’s ability to correct distortions. He said that in the current system the role of the General Assembly is subordinate to the Council, this is an anomaly.
That said, perhaps this is a time when we should be inspired to dedicate ourselves to finding that new format and that new framework that works.