21 July 2022

Thank you, Mr. President,

Humanitarian aid represents one of the core actions of the United Nations and many of its international partners.

It is one of those vital services that save lives, bring comfort and generate hope wherever there is suffering and hardship.

Humanitarian action doesn’t discriminate; it must reach everyone in need, however difficult and challenging; however remote and dangerous.

This is why this noble action should always be kept out of politics.

How could we decently accept that life-saving aid to millions of Syrians, or Yemenis, or Sudanese and many others, becomes embroiled into political disagreements, a mean to extract concessions or score points? We would play with the lives of people; we would take their hopes hostage.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what Russia did on 8 July 2020. They imposed a veto on a draft resolution that sought to extend the cross-border humanitarian mechanism in Syria, with 12 months, the bare minimum that humanitarian agencies had asked in order to be able to plan and organize the effective delivery of aid for more than 4 million people in Northwest of Syria.

It was a draft resolution that was rejected by only one of the 15 members of Council, Russia, undermining consensus and putting, again, its interests above the humanitarian needs of the Syrians. It was a decision that ignored children, girls, mothers, entire families in dire need, as well and those brave humanitarian workers who believe that the Security Council is on their side. It wasn’t. Because of the right of a member to use the veto. At will, as a carte blanche!

By threatening to starve more than 4 million people for whom the cross-border mechanism is the only lifeline, and show concern only to please and bolster the Assad regime, responsible for the humanitarian disaster and the use of chemical weapons against its own population, Russia gave another blow to the credibility of the Security Council, and the UN in general.

But it also gave another illustration of the detrimental effects of the veto by exacerbating arbitrariness and uncertainty about the role of the Council in discharging its responsibilities.

This is the hallmark of irresponsible behavior of one permanent member of the Council, with dangerous consequences for the entire UN membership.

Mr. President,

My country is currently serving as an elected Member of the Security Council.

We respect the Council and we measure its huge responsibility since, in everything it does or not, it plays a vital role in questions that make a difference between life and death.

But we see up close how this body, which in the eyes of millions inspires hope, represents the just power by acting on behalf of the UN membership, of what we commonly continue to call the international community, can be used for short-sighted interests, against the common interest of humanity, of the billions of people who have placed their hope there to live in peace and dignity.

The abuse of veto undermines the legitimacy of the Council and the entire UN. It opens the gates of fragmentation, disintegration, and decay of the rule-based international order.

We cannot let this happen. We must speak loudly against such kind of anomaly, use every possible way to make sure, to the best of our abilities, that the veto is used not as an exclusive privilege but rather as a heavy responsibility.

The use of veto as an exclusive privilege without responsibility is a violation of the spirit of the historic compromise that created the Charter and the veto.

It betrays the aspirations of the world to attain peace and security.

This is not good for the Council. Not good for the UN. Not good for the world.

I thank you.