Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has added her voice to the call for reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to make it "more representative, transparent and effective".
Speaking at the annual high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 21, Meloni called for the establishment of a “council that can ensure a fairer geographical allocation of seats and that can also enhance regional representation.”
Pointing out that the current UNSC was established in a different century, in the shadow of a conflict that ended 80 years ago – World War II – Meloni argued that a reformed structure would allow everyone the opportunity to express their values.
Many world leaders at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly also pushed for reforms to the UNSC, including US President Joe Biden, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky...
On opening day (September 19), President Joe Biden stated that the U.S. would continue to push for much-needed reforms to the UNSC amid the ongoing deadlock that is preventing the agency from fulfilling its core missions.
"We need more voices, more perspectives at the negotiating table. The UN must continue to preserve peace , prevent conflict, and alleviate human suffering," the American leader said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni meets with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 20, 2023. Photo: AP/Post Register
Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, the US President affirmed that his country is engaged in substantive consultations on reforming the UNSC and remains committed to its role.
Reiterating his earlier statement, Biden said the U.S. is committed to supporting the expansion of the UNSC by increasing the number of permanent and non-permanent members. He also stressed the need to update international institutions to effectively address today's challenges.
On September 20, at a session of the UNSC within the framework of the 78th UN General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed several “concrete measures” to limit Russia’s power within the organization as a permanent member.
Zelensky proposed that, given the difficulties in reforming the structure of UN bodies, the veto power would be broken in the following way: whenever a country exercises its veto power, the issue would be brought before the General Assembly, comprising all 193 member states, for a vote. The veto would be overturned by a two-thirds majority vote.
Furthermore, the Ukrainian leader proposed that a country should be suspended from the UNSC for a period of time “when that country commits acts of aggression against another country, violating the UN Charter.”
In response to comments targeting Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued: “The veto power is a legitimate tool established in the UN Charter to prevent the adoption of decisions that could divide the organization . ”
Minh Duc (According to Anadolu Agency, DD News, EFE/La Prensa Latina)
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