The Russian foreign minister on Tuesday supported the idea of reformingthe UN Security Council link,one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Valdai DiscussionClub in Sochi, Sergey Lavrov said he agrees with Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan that the five permanent members of the UN Security Councillink dictate the fateof the world, adding that they do not claim this right.
“The five claim exactly the powers that are written in the UN Charter, theCharter reflects the collective will of all members of the world communityand the five bear special responsibility for the state of affairs in theworld, primarily for avoiding global conflict. And for more than 75 yearsit has been possible to do this. I hope this situation will continue,” hesaid.
However, there is a need to adapt the UN and the Security Council to thenew realities, the minister added.
“It is no longer just 50 countries in the world, as it was when the UN wascreated, and not 70, as it was when the Security Council was expanded from12 to 15 members, but much more – 193 member states. And developingcountries quite rightly insist that their representation in this UN body beincreased,” he said.
Lavrov noted a misbalance in favor of Western countries in the SecurityCouncil – six of 15 members are represented by the West.
“And when Japan is elected from Asia, the seventh vote is in the piggy bankof Western policy, which is promoted through the UN Security Councillink. Therefore, of course,the West no longer needs to add seats in this body, and developingcountries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America definitely need to add,” hesaid.
In a separate statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reforming theUNSC depends on the consensus of the five permanent members.
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Peskov recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken theinitiative for the P5 to meet and discuss the challenges facing humanity.
“As for Russia, it has been, is, and remains a committed member of theorganization, the Security Council, and maintains its commitment andloyalty to the Charter of the United Nations, where everything is written,”he said.
Addressing the TRT World Forum 2021, Erdogan reiterated the need forreforming the UN and other international organizations, saying the”institutions in charge of ensuring peace and justice in the world havefailed once again.”
In his book, A Fairer World is Possible, the Turkish president describes indetail Turkey’s quest for justice for all humanity, and underlines the needfor comprehensive reform, especially in the UNSC.
He also draws attention to the problems of legitimacy, functionality,effectiveness, inclusiveness, representation, and governance of the UN.
