United Nations Security Council caught in 'concerning state of paralysis': UNGA president Dennis Francis
The HinduThe United Nations Security Council is caught in a "concerning state of paralysis" and aims to serve the predominance of Global North countries, United Nations General Assembly president Dennis Francis has said, underlining the need for representation and equitable participation of developing nations in decision-making in a reformed Council. As conflicts “seem to be spreading across the globe, the Security Council whose primary responsibility is to maintain international peace and security, however, seems caught in a concerning state of paralysis,” Mr. Francis said. Mr. Francis was addressing a special event titled ‘Shifting the Balance: Perspectives on United Nations Security Council Reform from Global South Think Tanks’ hosted at the U.N. headquarters by the Permanent Mission of India to the U.N. and The Observer Research Foundation. ORF president Samir Saran said the Security Council “remains the last colonial institution” and the global community must consider whether that is “the multilateral organisation we are comfortable with.” Referring to the issue of veto, Mr. Saran said the international community must question whether the veto is an important instrument that delivers global peace and global public goods “or is it a perverse privilege that protects bad behaviour.