Security Council has a 'problem of legitimacy': UN chief

ISTANBUL

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday acknowledged that the world body's Security Council faces problems of legitimacy because its composition does not reflect the reality of today's world.

“It is clear the Security Council has a problem of legitimacy and the problem of effectiveness. Legitimacy, because its composition no longer corresponds to the reality of today's world,” Guterres told a news conference in Malaysia on the sidelines of a summit of Southeast Asian nations.

He said the council has three European permanent members, namely France, the UK, and Russia. But it has only one Asian member and it has no member from Latin America and Africa, he added.

“This shows that the Security Council also doesn't correspond at all to the world of today. That is why it's so important to have an African representation of two permanent members. That's also important to have an increase in the permanent representatives from Asia,” Guterres said.

“The second, there is a problem of effectiveness, and the main element that complicates the effectiveness is indeed the veto power. Two of the countries, the UK and France, have presented the proposal to limit the veto power in a certain number of circumstances,” he added.

Guterres called for the members of the council to “seriously consider” those proposals.