Source: UN News: Saturday, 23 May 2026 00:01 AM
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that in order to prevent ‘superpowers’ from using their veto power in the Security Council to guarantee impunity, it is necessary to expand the Council so that it can be shaped in accordance with the realities of the present era. UN Chief Antonio Guterres is in the last leg of his official visit to Japan in connection with the completion of 70 years of mutual cooperation between Japan and the UN, where he said this while addressing a press conference. Secretary-General Guterres reiterated the long-pending demand for reforms in international organizations, including the UN Security Council. According to him, the existing mechanisms for finding solutions to problems at the global level, especially the Security Council and the International Financial Institutions, are not as effective as they should be in this challenging moment. The UN chief stressed that the reform that is most needed at this time is the reform of the UN Security Council. The problem of legitimacy The 15-member UN Security Council has 5 permanent members: China, France, Britain, Russia, the United States, who also have veto rights. Are. At the same time, 10 non-permanent member countries are elected for a period of two years. While advocating for increasing the number of permanent members in the Security Council, Secretary-General Guterres said that only one Asian country has been included in the Council, whereas about 50 percent of the world’s population lives on that continent. Furthermore, no African or Latin American country is represented in the Security Council. “This is a serious problem of legitimacy and ineffectiveness, and it is absolutely necessary to increase the number of permanent members, and also to increase the number of non-permanent members, so that the Security Council can be adapted to the realities of the present world.” He called for a multilateral system that is more equitable than ever before, international Be able to better protect the rule of law, and hold countries accountable. The UN chief said that the United Nations is an essential, unique meeting place to promote peace, sustainable development and human rights, but it can only be as strong as member states are committed to it. Bad examples must be avoided.UN Secretary General He was asked whether international organizations like the United Nations can prevent violent conflicts or not. He replied that it is not multilateralism which is in crisis. She noted “the behavior of superpowers that violates international law, sometimes provoking violent conflicts on their own and using the veto power in the Security Council to guarantee impunity.” The UN chief said this makes it difficult for the UN Secretariat to stem the dramatic increase in the number of violent conflicts around the world. “Because when bad examples follow from the superpowers, medium-sized powers around the world “They think that whatever they want can be done with impunity.” He said that there are now many countries that have permanent external interference in countries that are in violent conflict, and this situation makes it extremely difficult to stop the fighting and mediate. And that is why it is important to reform the Security Council. Freedom of Movement According to the UN chief, the crisis of rising inflation and high costs of living is getting worse due to the tension and unrest prevailing in the Middle East region. There has been a huge surge in the prices of fuel, fertilizers, raw materials and other goods and challenges are increasing for a large number of countries. He said that it is necessary to immediately re-establish freedom of maritime transport in the Strait of Hormuz and the waters around it. At the same time, ceasefire violations must be stopped, and conditions must be created for a political solution to the violent conflict. However, he made clear that lack of mutual trust and geopolitical fractures are making it difficult to find effective solutions. “States are making a mockery of international law with impunity.” “There is far more spending on military rather than humanitarian assistance, while funding cuts are having dire consequences for the world’s most vulnerable populations,” he warned. Said that partnerships are of great importance in a world shaken by violent conflicts, climate turmoil and inequality.
