Türkiye's UN envoy says need for Security Council reform 'undeniable and undeferrable'

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - Türkiye's Permanent Representative to the UN, Sedat Onal, on Thursday highlighted the imperative and immediate need for Security Council reform, saying the reform process needs to address current shortcomings of the Council.

"The need for Security Council reform is undeniable and undeferrable," Onal said at a UN General Assembly debate on Security Council reform.

"What has recently transpired in the Security Council attests to this fact," he said, citing the Council's failure to establish a cease-fire and halt human suffering in Palestine "due to its inherent paralysis."

Stressing that the reform process needs to address and eliminate the current shortcomings of the Council, the envoy said: "It must reconcile the objectives of equitable and democratic representation with those of effectiveness and efficiency without sacrificing one objective for the sake of the other."

"This entails a comprehensive and inclusive approach that would benefit and gain the support of all member states. One that will emphasize and prioritize common good over individual national interests," he added.

Also speaking at the annual debate, General Assembly President Dennis Francis said that without structural reform, the Council’s performance and legitimacy will continue to suffer.

“Violence and wars continue to spread in regions across the world, while the United Nations seems paralyzed due largely to the divisions in the Security Council,” he added.

The Security Council passed a resolution on the Israel-Hamas conflict Wednesday following four unsuccessful attempts since it erupted in early October.

Many UN member states, including Türkiye, believe that reform at the Security Council is more urgent than ever. In that sense, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly called for such reform.

*Serife Cetin in New York contributed to this story