What is a 1945 organisation doing in a 2022 world? Though not in these words, this was the essence of the message of Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The UN is not only 77 years too old, but irrelevant to the times. Take the veto wielded by the five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council (UNSC) — the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China, the primary targets of Ismail Sabri. The prime minister is right.
Most of the world's problems remain unresolved because of the veto power designed into the UNSC for the P5.
How could five countries dictate the fate of a world of 193 nations in this age of democracy? Let's leave out Russia and China, as they are not averse to telling others what to do. But what do the US, Britain and France, frequent peddlers of democracy, have to say?
Like Ismail Sabri, we think the world is in a mess because of the veto-wielding P5 members of the UNSC. Consider the Palestinian crisis, arguably the world's oldest problem. We single out Britain and the US for masterminding the betrayal of the Palestinians. If you think betrayal is history, think again. Every attempt at passing a UNSC resolution to punish Israel for the atrocities committed against the Palestinians is vetoed by one of the pair.
We echo the words of Ismail Sabri: Treat Palestine as you treat Ukraine. If the West is quick to rush to aid the Ukrainians, it must be equally quick to rush to aid the Palestinians.
Similarly, the Rohingya of Myanmar remain persecuted because of the P5's selective treatment. The US, Britain and France at least appear to want to "end" their plight, but their resolutions are either vetoed or diluted by China or Russia. It is clear that no matter whose hands the veto is in, it hinders and hampers the UNSC from resolving any crisis.
Out with the veto, we say.
But this still doesn't help the world body make the planet better, or at least get us out of the mess we are in. We must remember that the UNSC is the law-making body, not the UNGA. The latter can pass all the resolutions it wants, or make all the right noises, but they bind no one.
This takes us back to the UNSC. Do the P5 remain, though without their veto power? No, for two reasons.
One, left alone they tend not to do what is right. Two, five countries ruling and reigning over 193 others isn't democratic at all. What is the right number? Nothing more than 11, but these must represent the West, East and everything in between.
Like in a democracy, resolutions should be determined by majority votes. But before we get there, there is one issue: Who decides the veto must go? Not the UNGA certainly. It has to be the UNSC. All it takes is one veto to kill the grand redesign of the UN.
There is a way out, though. Should the P5 not volunteer to surrender their veto power, then the UN should be sent the way of the League of Nations.
Only in this way can we have a just global body.