Malta has earned a seat, as a non-permanent member, at the United Nations Security Council, securing 97 per cent of the vote from among 190 voting members. This is a significant achievement for our country. Malta will now participate in security briefings, table resolutions and chair Security Council meetings.
The council presidency alternates monthly among all 15 members, meaning Malta will assume the presidency for one month during its term. It is the second time that Malta is serving on the Council, having first served in 1983-1984.
Malta’s priority themes will focus on several key issues, namely women, peace and security, children in armed conflict, climate and oceans and literacy. Through the Security Council, Malta will have the opportunity to play an important role in the Mediterranean region and in the maintenance of international peace and security while promoting human rights.
But not only. In international institutions, Malta has a track record of punching above its weight. Fifty-five years ago, at a session of the United Nations General Assembly, Malta’s then ambassador to the United Nations, Arvid Pardo, presented the innovative initiative to consider the seabed resources as the common heritage of mankind.
Today, the UN Security Council needs reform and Malta, together with other countries, will be at the forefront for such change.
The Times of Malta has recently called for a reform of the United Nations Security Council.
The Security Council is the main body responsible for maintaining peace and security. It determines the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of peace or act of aggression. The Security Council consists of 15 member states, five of them: China, France, the US, the UK and Russia are permanent members. They have veto powers. Non-permanent members (10) are elected every two years. There are no countries from Africa or Latin America as permanent members of the Security Council. Each member of the Security Council has one vote. If one member of the permanent members passes a veto, a resolution cannot pass.
Edward C. Luck, in ‘UN Security Council, Practice and Promise’ (Routledge 2006), argues: “The Security Council survived the Cold War, the North-South split and hundreds of vetoes by Moscow and Washington. It must do more than simply preserve itself, of course, it must make a positive contribution to international peace and security”.
The veto is a responsibility, not a right, which has been often abused- Frank Psaila
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown the need for a reform within the UN Security Council. Two UN General Assembly resolutions calling on Russia to immediately end all military operations in Ukraine have been ignored by the Kremlin. A resolution by the Security Council condemning the invasion failed after it was vetoed by Russia, one of the five permanent members of the Council.
The Times of Malta has called for a gradual abolishment of the veto and majority voting in the Council. Should the veto be abolished, the UN Security Council would be able to take concrete and immediate action in cases such as the war in Ukraine. But that will take time. The abolishment of the veto will certainly face resistance from the permanent members.
The veto was an absolute requirement to secure the consent of the US, the UK and the Soviet Union when it was set up. However, the veto is a responsibility, not a right, which has been frequently abused. While its abolishment would be the preferred option, short of abolishing the veto (due to the resistance this would find from the current permanent members), its use should alternatively be minimised and used in exceptional circumstances.
The expansion of the permanent and non-permanent categories of the Council would certainly add relevance to today’s global issues and challenges.
The underrepresentation of countries such as Africa (54 members in the UN and zero permanent seats), for instance, is particularly shameful while a stronger voice of small nations is critical.
“The UN is only as effective as the member states allow it to be” (The Blue Helmets: A Review of the United Nations Peacekeeping, third edition, p.315).
Now is the time. Reform can no longer be postponed.
The UN needs a Security Council which can come up with effective resolutions and execute them in an effective manner. A stronger, more effective and representative Council is needed more than ever before. This is another opportunity for Malta to punch above its weight and be a catalyst for change.
Frank Psaila is a lawyer specialising in international relations.