United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has criticized divisions among members of the Security Council. He said the state of affairs is undermining the legitimacy and effectiveness of the council and of the UN itself.
Guterres made the remarks at the United Nations on Wednesday. He was addressing a Security Council debate that included leaders from more than 90 member states who have gathered for the annual UN General Assembly.
Guterres said: “Geopolitical divisions continue to block effective solutions. A united council can make a tremendous difference for peace. A divided council cannot.”
Council members and other leaders met on the same day to address challenges and generate ideas for resolving the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere.
They agreed to strengthen their resolve to maintain international peace and security, describing the challenge as “more pressing than ever.”
Critics have taken aim at the council for failures to prevent conflicts, and they say the frequent use of the veto by the five permanent members is making it dysfunctional.
Many world leaders have proposed limiting vetoes, while others have suggested expanding the council by adding more permanent and non-permanent members.