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Brazil president-elect says UN Security Council needs to change

Saturday, 19 November 2022 7:41 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 19 November 2022 7:41 AM ]

Brazil's President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends a meeting with Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (not pictured) and Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi (not pictured), at Belem Presidential palace in Lisbon, Portugal, November 18, 2022. (Reuters photo)

Brazil President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says that the United Nations Security Council needs to change and that there should be more members representing all continents.

"The UN Security Council needs to change, it needs to have more people representing all continents, and it needs to end the idea that a (single) country can have the right of veto," he told reporters on Friday during his trip to Portugal.

Lula noted the idea that a single country can have the right to veto must be put to an end.

Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly discussed the efforts to reform the structure of the Security Council.

Discussions focused on the issue of expanding the number of member states in the council, the use of vetoes by permanent members as well as efforts to make the council more inclusive, with stronger representation from Africa and some small countries.

Ambassador Zhhang Jun of China, a permanent member of the council, said the reforms must effectively increase the representation and voice of developing countries to correct "historical injustice to Africa".

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Sierra Leone Ambassador Alie Kabba also said that Africa still believes in the need for a "comprehensive reform" of the UN system.

Meanwhile, the UK has announced its support for India, Germany, Japan and Brazil to sit as permanent members in an expanded Security Council.

Speaking during a General Assembly debate on Security Council reform on Thursday, British Ambassador Barbara Woodward said that the country has long sought the expansion of the council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories.

The British ambassador also said that her country supports the creation of new permanent seats for India, Germany, Japan and Brazil, as well as permanent representation of Africa in the council.

She added that Britain also supports expanding the non-permanent membership category, bringing the total membership of the council to somewhere in the mid-20s.

Woodward said that with these changes, the council would be more representative of the world than before.

She added it would be better able to respond decisively to threats to international peace and security.

Among the 5 permanent members of the 15-member council, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Russia have supported a permanent seat for India in the council.

India's current two-year term as a non-permanent member of the council ends next month after presiding over the UN body.

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