SHAFAQNA- Kuwait’s latest request to be the permanent representative of the Arab countries in the Security Council was made recently by its ambassador to the United Nations, Mansour Ayyad Sh. Al-Otaibi.
In a speech on behalf of the Arab League on February 8 at an informal meeting of the United Nations on the fairness of the Security Council, he said that most of the decisions and issues raised in the Security Council are related to the Arab world and this makes it necessary for these countries to have a permanent representation, Al-Khaleej Online reported.
Noting that the population of the Arab countries is more than 400 million, and also referring to the number of Arab member states of the United Nations, which constitute about 12% of this international organization, the ambassador of Kuwait considered necessary for these countries to have a representative in the Security Council.
Member states of the Arab League would like to gain a permanent seat on Security Council, in the event that the UN Security Council gets expanded in the future. Arab countries argued that they deserve to have a permanent seat at the Security Council because much of the council’s agenda relates to conflicts in the Arab world. Arab countries state that their call is based on objective criteria represented by the Arab population density and the number of Arab countries in the United Nations.
A permanent seat at the council gives its holder the power of veto, enabling them to prevent the adoption of any “substantive” resolution, regardless of its level of international support.
Kuwait has called for a permanent Arab representation in the Security Council
Kuwait, on behalf of the Arab countries, called for a permanent Arab representation with full powers in the Security Council in the event of any future expansion of it, stressing that fair representation also requires proportional Arab representation in the category of non-permanent seats in the enlarged Security Council.
Kuwait’s UN permanent representative, Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi, affirmed that the Arab League was demanding a permanent Arab representation in the Security Council. Al-Otaibi said that the UN’s three major bodies need real and comprehensive reforms, especially in light of the current difficult situation the world is going through due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Large part of the Security Council’s work relate to the Arabic region
Al-Otaibi said that such call by the Arab group come “based on objective criteria represented by the Arab population density and the number of Arab countries in the United Nations, in addition to the fact that a large part of the Council’s work and issues on its agenda relate to the Arabic region, which requires fair and proportionate Arab representation in the expanded council.”
He added that the Arab group adheres to the realization of a “real and comprehensive” reform of the Security Council, especially as it is the main body entrusted with maintaining international peace and security under the United Nations Charter, so that it becomes “more capable and effective” in overcoming the relevant challenges within a “more representative, transparent, neutral and credible framework.
Kuwait’s request of Arab permanent seat, was also made previously by Mansour Al-Otaibi on behalf of the Arab Group, at the first meeting during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly for intergovernmental negotiations, on the issue of “fair representation in the Security Council and increasing the number of its members and related issues”, according to Gulf-times.
Moreover, he noted that the main objective of the reform and expansion of the Security Council is to ensure that all geographical and regional groups are fairly and appropriately represented in the membership of the expanded council, Global circulate told.
Debate about the expansion of Security Council has been ongoing for over a decade
The UN Security Council is currently composed of 15 member states, including five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US — and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
The composition of the Security Council has been a contentious matter, particularly since the end of the Cold War. Critics have argued that the Security Council and its five permanent members reflect the power structure that existed at the end of World War II, when much of the world was under colonial rule. Reform efforts have remained elusive but have centred on efforts to make the work of the Security Council more transparent and on demands by important non-permanent members, such as Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan (the so-called G-4), to obtain permanent membership—or at least have special status within the Security Council. One proposal put forward by the G-4 countries was to increase the membership of the Security Council to 25 seats by adding six new permanent members, including one each for themselves and two for Africa, Britannica told.
The debate about the reform of the Security Council and its expansion to become more inclusive has been ongoing for over a decade, but it is yet to bear results.
Veto right of the P5, impacts on all member states from the South
The most common criticism levelled against the UN and its Security Council is that they are dominated by the United States and its allies. The General Assembly is seen, through the Charter itself, as little more than a debating chamber, while key decisions are made by the five permanent members of the Security Council (P5) at the expense of other states.
Of course, the power imparity in the UN, most notably represented by the veto right of the P5, impacts on all member states from the South. The two-decade old UN reform movement is a direct response to this growing unease with the lack of proportional representation by the countries of the South in the SCdecision making.