STORY
The UK has called for the United Nations to be used more effectively to prevent and resolve conflict, warning that the international system is facing severe pressure from crises in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine.
James Kariuki, the UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, told a Security Council meeting in New York that Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine had moved the world further away from the peace repeatedly demanded by the international community. He said conflicts required a coordinated global response and a renewed commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, human rights and international law.
Kariuki said the Security Council had the tools to act, including peacekeeping deployments, diplomatic good offices and sanctions, but needed the political will to make them effective. He also said the Council should better reflect the modern world, with the UK supporting permanent African representation as well as permanent seats for Brazil, Germany, India and Japan.
The UK also backed wider UN reform, including the Secretary-General’s reform initiative and the UN80 process. Kariuki said the UN’s record included more than 70 peace operations, work to reduce polio by more than 99% and landmark climate agreements, but argued that multilateralism had to be strengthened if it was to meet current global challenges.