For small States like his, international law and the Charter are the first line of defence in protecting their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Singapore’s delegate, pointing out the tragic and disturbing irony that Moscow invaded its neighbour while serving as Council President in February 2022, reiterated that this invasion is a serious and flagrant violation of the Charter. “If we continue to perpetuate the 1945 anachronistic mindset, we will continue to lose the faith our people have in the United Nations,” she said. The Council must widen its representation to more developing countries to expand its effectiveness and credibility. She asked whether “effective multilateralism” can be practiced by defending a Charter that makes five nations more equal than others and gives each of the five the power to ignore the collective will of the remaining 188 Member States. The representative of India questioned whether the Council is collectively aware of the inadequacies of a multilateral system that has failed to respond to contemporary challenges, whether it is the COVID-19 pandemic or the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. ![]() ![]() The representative of Brazil, for example, said the Council’s current composition is not compatible with current geopolitical realities as the African continent and his own region, Latin America and the Caribbean, are not represented as permanent members. In the ensuing debate, many Council members repeated their pleas for long-awaited reforms, with some even questioning the viability of a multilateral system the still reflects the balance of power in 1945. He urged delegates to use the Charter’s full range of diplomatic tools, including the use of his good offices, to peacefully resolve conflicts. He said countries must recommit to their obligations under the Charter, place human rights and dignity first and make the prevention of conflict and crises a priority. While heartened by progress, such as a binding treaty on conservation and the sustainable use of marine biological diversity and the General Assembly’s recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the international community needs to “do better, go further and work faster”. Tensions between major Powers are at an historic high, he pointed out, and effective multilateral responses are urgently needed to prevent and resolve conflicts, manage economic uncertainty, rescue the Sustainable Development Goals, and counter challenges to global norms against the use and possession of nuclear weapons. Many Delegates Note Organ’s Composition Incompatible with Geopolitical RealitiesĪs it operates within a multilateral system facing the greatest strain since the Organization was created nearly 80 years ago, the international community must recommit to its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council today during a day-long open debate on effective multilateralism.
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