UAE Parliament participates in IPU meeting on reforming UN Security Council

Marwan Obaid Al Muhairi, Member of the UAE Parliamentary Division at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), participated in the IPU Standing Committee on United Nations (UN) Affairs, which addressed the role of parliaments in reforming the UN Security Council, as part of the IPU’s 147th General Assembly and the 212th Governing Council session held in Angola.

The UAE Parliamentary Division’s statement, presented by Marwan Al Muhairi, stressed the need for reforming the UN Security Council and pointed out that the world has changed drastically since the council was formed in 1945, noting the Council’s inability to act effectively and consistently in response to conflicts and other security threats around the world.

The council has failed to address various crises, conflicts, and major issues effectively, the statement added, criticising the lack of decisive action by the council to achieve international security and peace, which has undermined the credibility of the UN, the noble principles on which the council was based, and the future of pluralism and a rule-based international system.

Making the council more representative and accountable would improve its performance and credibility in maintaining global peace and security, as the UN Charter mandates, Al Muhairi said, highlighting the role of the IPU in supporting the UN’s reform efforts and strengthening the collaboration between the UN and national parliaments through the union.

He also affirmed the importance of parliaments in advancing, endorsing, and overseeing the implementation of the UN’s plans, strategies, and resolutions, as well as in encouraging constructive dialogue, bridging communication gaps, and monitoring the implementation of recommendations issued by the UN’s mechanisms, which will boost developmental efforts and international peace and security operations.

The discussion brought parliaments up to date on some of the leading reform proposals for the Security Council and provided an opportunity for reflection on possible parliamentary action in this regard.