On Tuesday, September 17th, as the United Nations General Assembly prepares to convene, Finnish President Alexander Stubb called for an expansion of the UN Security Council, the abolition of the veto power held by permanent members, and the suspension of membership for any country engaged in “illegal wars,” such as Russia.
As the head of Finnish foreign policy, Stubb stated that he will advocate for reforms at the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in New York next week. The meeting will address the composition of the Security Council.
The Security Council currently consists of five permanent members and ten non-permanent members, tasked with maintaining global peace. However, geopolitical rivalries have led to stalemates on issues like Ukraine and Gaza.
In an interview, Stubb proposed increasing the number of permanent members from five to ten, including one Latin American country, two African countries, and two Asian countries.
He said, “What I want to say is that if countries from the ‘Global South,’ from Latin America, Africa, and Asia, do not have a voice in this system, they will grow weary of the United Nations. This is something we do not want to see.”
The United States also supports providing two permanent seats for African countries.
The current five permanent members have veto power, including the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK.
Stubb stated, “No single country should have a veto power in the UN Security Council.”
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. The next day, the Security Council voted on a resolution opposing the invasion. Russia exercised its veto power, while China abstained.
Subsequently, 50 countries issued a joint statement condemning Russia’s abuse of veto power.
Russia has taken similar actions regarding conflicts involving North Korea and Palestine. In late March of this year, Russia used its veto power to terminate the UN’s supervision of sanctions against North Korea, with China abstaining.
In March, the US submitted a resolution to the Security Council calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages, but it was vetoed by Russia, China, and Algeria.
The US criticized Russia for prioritizing politics over conflict resolution progress.
Stubb stated that countries engaged in illegal wars should be expelled from the Security Council, citing Russia’s current actions in Ukraine.
He hopes that other countries will push forward with this plan before the UN’s 80th anniversary next year.
Any changes to membership in the Security Council require approval from two-thirds of the UN General Assembly, including the five veto-wielding countries.
Stubb urged support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and called for Western countries to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of donated weapons. Zelensky will discuss his “Victory Plan” at next week’s UN General Assembly.
Stubb said, “He told us that 90% of the funds are in place, and the remaining 10% is what he needs to win this war.”
Stubb has previously served as the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, and Foreign Minister of Finland, as well as a Member of the European Parliament. He took office as president in March of this year.
(Reference: Reuters)