UN should abolish Security Council veto

• By Recep Tayyip Erdogan / Bloomberg Opinion

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The tragedies of the past few years, including pandemics, energy crises, disruptions to supply chains and regional conflicts, have demonstrated that leaving the resolution of global crises to the will of a handful of capitals is no longer compatible with the realities of today’s world. The adaptation of global decisionmaking mechanisms to today’s circumstances can no longer be postponed.

The UN Security Council still reflects the structure of the post-World War II era. A more effective, equitable and accountable approach to representation has become imperative. This requires not only broadening representation, but also sharing leadership responsibility equitably. We must incorporate the experience, capacity and will of different regions into efforts to address global and regional challenges. In this respect, our call that “The world is bigger than five” is an invitation to embrace a broader understanding of responsibility.

It is now imperative to translate the need for reform into a concrete roadmap. At the heart of this roadmap should be abolishing the veto privilege. Adding new privileged members to the Security Council would not resolve the problem of decisionmaking power being concentrated in the hands of a few states; rather, it would expand the scope of the privileged structure. The abolition of the veto privilege should be both the starting point and the fundamental strategic objective of any meaningful reform. Reform cannot mean extending the same privilege to other states.

Within the UN General Assembly, a broad coalition should be built around the principle that no state should have the power to permanently obstruct the will of the majority of the international community.

The balance between the Security Council and the General Assembly must also be restored. The powers of the General Assembly should be strengthened, and the representativeness of the Security Council and its accountability to the General Assembly should be enhanced through a structure in which there are no permanent members, Security Council members are elected by the General Assembly on a rotational basis for fixed terms, and countries seeking to serve again are required to regain the confidence of the majority of member states through elections.

We cannot build the international order of the future by preserving the hierarchies of the past. The developments of the past quarter century — a relatively brief period in world history — have demonstrated that no balance of power and no international order are permanent. The system that promised humanity peace, stability and shared prosperity has failed to prevent new wars, reduce inequalities or respond to shifting balances of power.

As new centers of power have emerged across fields ranging from the economy and security to technology and diplomacy, international institutions have failed to adapt to this transformation at the same pace. Wars, the climate crisis, irregular migration and economic vulnerabilities have once again underscored the importance of states having strong institutions, resilient economies and deterrent defense capabilities. The security and sustainability of trade, logistics, transport and energy corridors have become increasingly decisive.

As Asia’s economic weight grows, Africa is also calling for stronger representation commensurate with its potential, while developing countries are voicing their own priorities more assertively. The growing influence of certain regional actors also brings greater responsibility to address challenges within their own regions. The issues facing each region cannot be resolved through methods imposed from outside. We believe that approaches grounded in the will of the countries concerned, local circumstances and shared interests will produce more lasting and stable outcomes. It is an unavoidable necessity for countries with diplomatic capacity, economic resources and the ability to communicate with different parties to assume more effective roles in establishing peace and stability.

Expectations that globalization would spread prosperity have not been fully met. As income inequalities have deepened, technological and economic dependencies have become new arenas of competition. In these changing circumstances, responsibilities must be shared equitably to ensure global justice, while developing countries’ right to development and access to the financing they need must be guaranteed.

Such a change requires international will on a broad scale. Tukey will continue to draw on its strong global relations and experience in multilateral diplomacy in support of this pursuit of reform. We support this effort to abolish the veto privilege, give elected members greater weight in decisionmaking processes and strengthen the role of the General Assembly. The convergence of countries from different regions around this common ground will strengthen the legitimacy and representative capacity of the international system.

It is clear that lasting peace in today’s world cannot be built through the multiplication of disconnected blocs that fail to engage with one another. For “a fairer world,” we must bring together the experience, capacity and resolve of different regions on common ground. With its deep-rooted tradition of statecraft, diplomatic capacity and strong ties across different regions, Turkey will continue to assume its share of responsibility in the pursuit of this reform.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the president of the Republic of Turkey. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.