Latin America and Africa Should Not Be Excluded From the Security Council: Lula
Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Sept. 24, 2024. X/ @Journal_UN_ONU
September 24, 2024 Hour: 1:01 pm
Their exclusion from the UNSC echoes practices that harken back to the colonial past, he pointed out.
On Tuesday, Brazilian President Lula da Silva stated that it is “unacceptable” for Latin America and Africa to not have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
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The exclusion of these two regions from the Security Council echoes practices that harken back to the colonial past, he said during his speech at the 79th United Nations General Assembly.
Besides advocating for the need to expand the Security Council, Lula called for making this institution more effective and representative through a change in the current veto policy, which only allows UNSC permanent members to implement vetoes. Currently, the UNSC is composed of five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.
The Brazilian leader also emphasized the need for a broad reform of all UN bodies, an organization that he said is “increasingly hollowed out and paralyzed.” Specifically, he proposed giving the General Assembly a role in managing issues of peace and security, and transforming the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) into the main forum for promoting sustainable development.
Additionally, Lula criticized the gender imbalance within the United Nations, highlighting that there has never been a woman at the helm of the Secretary-General’s office in the nearly eight decades.
The reform of international organizations, particularly the United Nations Security Council, has been a longstanding issue on Brazil’s foreign policy agenda. Lula has even raised his concerns about the delay in global governance reform at the G20 and has included the matter on the agenda for discussions by the group of the world’s largest economies this year, under Brazil’s rotating presidency.
The BRICS forum was founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This year, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia have joined BRICS. The issues raised by Lula before the UNGA will be discussed by BRICS members at the summit to be held in October in Kazan.
teleSUR/JF Source: EFE
