UNGA President says UN Security Council is paralysed, refers to Ukraine war, bats for reforms

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Csaba Korosi said on Sunday (January 29) that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) no longer reflects today's realities, was paralysed and unable to discharge its basic function of maintaining international peace and security when one of its permanent members has attacked its neighbour. Speaking to the news agency PTI, Korosi, a Hungarian diplomat, said that the UNSC, "which has been created back then” and given the primary responsibility of maintaining “international peace and security and preventing wars now is paralysed.”

In a reference to Russia's offensive in Ukraine, which will soon mark one year, the UNGA President said, "The Security Council cannot discharge its basic function for a very simple reason. One of the permanent members of the Security Council attacked its neighbour. The Security Council should be the body to take action against the aggression. But because of the veto power, the Security Council cannot act."

He added this was a “very serious lesson learnt” for the future when talking about how to improve the functioning of global organisations.

On Sunday, Csaba Korosi arrived on a three-day visit to India,his first bilateral visit to any country since he assumed the presidency of the UNGA in September last year. According to a statement issued by the Indian foreign ministry, Korosi will hold talks with foreign minister S Jaishankar on key multilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

The UNGA chief will also interact with senior officials of NITI Aayog and India's G20 presidency team to explore the scaling up of the country's best practices. On Monday, Korosi will pay floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on the occasion of Shaheed Diwas.

Before leaving for India, Korosi told PTI that the issue of the UN Security Council reform was both “burning” and “compelling” since the composition of the Security Council reflected“the outcome of the Second World War”.

India has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the UNSC, saying it rightly deserved a place as a permanent member of the UN. At present, the UNSC has only five permanent members– China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States (US) and only a permanent member has the power to veto any substantive resolution.

In the history of the UN, the composition of the Security Council has been altered only once – in 1963. Csaba Korosi said, "Since then, the world has changed. The geopolitical relations in the world altered, the economic responsibilities in the world in some countries, including in India, including some other very strongly developing countries, actually changed." Korosi added that the composition of the UNSC did not reflect today's realities.

On being asked whether he has hope for any forward movement in the UNSC reform, the UNGA president said, "Yes, I do have hope."

(With inputs from agencies)

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