Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has once again brought the attention of the world to the undemocratic United Nations Security Council (UNSC) veto system dominated by Russia, the United States, China, the United Kingdom and France.
The main reform in UNSC should be to reduce the veto powers of the five permanent members.
The problem with veto powers is that all five members have their own agenda. Although the Cold War has ended, the distrust remains. The rotational 10 members are there to give some semblance of democracy, but they have no bite as the veto power overrules all decisions.
Calls to reform UNSC have not garnered much response. One effective method that could draw a positive response is to add five more nations such as India, Japan, Germany or either Spain, Italy or Brazil and one Islamic country, either Turkey or Pakistan, to UNSC.
The five nations can be made permanent members of UNSC, but without the veto power.
This system will be good until such time when UNSC may be reviewed to reflect the military power and socio-economic realities at that time.
The five permanent members without the veto power are major powers and can contribute much to enhance UNSC. These nations can be called upon to provide more funds and peace-keeping troops.
The five non-veto members can act as checks-and-balances against the domination and control of the veto powers in UNSC.
Being major military and socio-economic power themselves, they can use their influence to pressure the big five for more diplomacy and consultation to avoid the veto.
UNSC’s inaction has brought massacres, civil wars and violence around the world after World War 2.
The five additional members can be rotated and preferably elected from Canada, South Africa, Australia, South Korea and also Malaysia.
Dr Mahathir rightly observed that UNSC had succeeded in other fields through its agencies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, World Health Organisation, International Atomic Energy Agency, World Trade Organisation and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
However, when UN was formed, it was expected to focus on prevention of war, genocide, civil war and border dispute.
In this regard, UN has failed and part of the blame can be attributed to the unreasonable use of the veto power.
V. Thomas
Sungai Buloh, Selangor