In essence, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) acts as the UN's main organ responsible for maintaining international peace and security. After the Allies won WWII, the United Nations Charter came into effect on October 24, 1945. Among the five permanent members of the UNSC, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the Soviet Union (present-day Russia) control the unique right to veto resolutions and the privilege of making decisions.
Every one of these five members has the power to veto any substantive resolution, allowing them to block any resolution they disagree with. A nation's veto decision is based on its national interests, regardless of the rights and laws of the people. In addition to having global implications, these vetoes enable the UNSC to benefit its individual members. A veto is a privilege reserved to only five permanent members of international bodies, obstructing the possibility of a just order in the world.
As a result of its structure, the UNSC fails to achieve its primary goal. There have been 119 times that the Soviet Union has used its veto, 29 times by Russia, 83 times by the United States, 32 times by the United Kingdom, 18 times by France, and 17 times by China -- allowing them to choose the fate of others based on their own needs.
All five members have used their vetoes to overturn resolutions passed by the United Nations General Assembly which had an absolute majority. It is morally questionable when the powers of this council are utilized to promote the interests of a single country, in total disregard of global norms and values that are meant to define what the UN stands for.
The permanent members use this dictatorial tool to decide the fate of every other member, regardless of the level of international cooperation. As a result, the permanent five have browbeaten this as a means of advancing their political agendas.
They have mostly used their vetoes to preserve their countries' tactical interests and political objectives. They are no longer concerned with safeguarding everyone's safety. Instead, it has worsened into an unfair and unjust system. The entire goal of this council is not being served, and reform is in dire need.
Rather than demonstrating impartial leadership in the position they were given, they have abused the power afforded to them. We must stop allowing five members to control decisions that affect the entire planet in an unjust and illogical manner. It was inevitable that power like this would pose a problem.
Having this much power in their hands entails a lot of responsibility. Instead of relying on the belief that five permanent members will choose the greatest good for all of us, it is critical to create an organization that is fair to all. Our rights and voices have been ignored because of their vetoes. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this. The problem affects people's lives on a large scale, killing and injuring many innocent individuals in the process. As a result, it is not keeping the world's peace and security as it was intended to.
As an example, disproportionate military action in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of countless Palestinian civilians. It is the civilians who have paid for the United States' decision to use the veto in this case.
As a result of the Syrian conflict, there have been about 150,000 deaths. It is widely documented that this war has been heinous, and the world has been watching and waiting to hear about the daily deaths. A draft United Nations resolution calling for the International Criminal Court to be brought into the Syrian case was vetoed by Russia. Russia's veto, one of the permanent five, effectively ignored the 65 countries who supported the resolution and 13 of the 15 members who voted in favour.
People in Syria have a right to seek justice for what has happened to them. Having vetoed this resolution is unjustified. In the fifth year of the crisis, Russia's vote was a disgrace, particularly in light of the death toll. A UNSC resolution on Syria has now been blocked for the fourth time by Russia.
This should be enough to justify overhauling the UNSC's power structure. Having the right to veto whatever they disagree with, based only on their own desires, without regard for the interests of others, is undemocratic. In order to accommodate the five permanent members, we are forced to follow a council that was established 70 years ago. They've been placed on a pedestal for far too long, and the legality of their vetoes and genuine intentions are never called into doubt.
If the goal was to promote peace, security, freedom, and democracy around the world, it has been regrettably unsuccessful.
In my opinion, this luxury, which they have enjoyed for 75 years, is discriminatory and contradicts everything we believe in. The reason they control us appears to be biased, and there is no solid explanation. Power has been abused for long enough.
It is urgent that the UNSC is reformed. The system and the way it works must be completely overhauled if world peace is the goal. Every country in the world deserves recognition. The world is made up of more than 200 nations -- how does it make sense that only five have the authority to make decisions that have an impact on us all?
Yemad Fayed Ahmed is a public relations professional.
