Russia will assume this Saturday (1st) the presidency of the UN Security Council, causing many questions and much controversy.
Critics dispute this move, claiming that the country responsible for the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II and whose president was indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes simply could not take the reins of a body that exists to guarantee peace on the planet. .
“It sounds like the worst April Fools joke in history, but an indicted war criminal, (President) Vladimir Putin, is about to take control of the UN Security Council,” they wrote, for example, in an article in the Time magazine, leading Yale University scholar Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, US Senator Richard Blumenthal and former US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman.
Under UN rules, each of the 15 member countries of the Security Council assumes the presidency of the body on a rotating basis for a period of one month.
It was precisely the last time he assumed this post, in February 2022, that Russia decided to invade Ukraine, starting the war.
The presidency of the Security Council decides the agendas to be discussed, leads the meetings and takes care of various administrative actions of the collegiate.
Despite not having the power to change the body’s operating rules, it is ironic and almost tragic that the country considered by much of the world as the current greatest threat to peace assumes this post.
Support from dictatorships
Furthermore, Russia has never been so isolated and without UN legitimacy.
In the last vote on a resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine in February, only six countries voted in favor of Russia. And they are all dictatorships: Belarus, North Korea, Syria, Eritrea, Mali and Nicaragua.
Even in the presidency of the Security Council, Russia will not be able to prevent that the other countries demonstrate during the votes. But Moscow will try to use the position to its advantage.
The new presidency intends, for example, to organize a special session of the council in April to present the “real situation” of Ukrainian children who were removed to Russia – precisely the allegation that led to Putin’s indictment for war crimes in the Court of Justice. International Criminal.
As one of the five nations with a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, Russia can veto any resolution – in effect blocking the actions of the collegiate to try to maintain peace and security in the world.
Ukraine’s allies have argued that Russia should lose its permanent seat, but that is virtually impossible because Moscow would inevitably veto such a proposal.
In the last ten years, Russia was the country that most used this prerogative, vetoing no less than 24 resolutions – two each month, on average.
In the same period, China vetoed another 10 resolutions and the United States, just three.
USA asks for professionalism
The White House has urged Russia to conduct itself professionally when it assumes the UN Security Council presidency scheduled for next month, saying there is no way to stop Moscow from taking the post.
“We ask Russia to behave professionally,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a news conference. “We hope that Russia will continue to use its seat on the council to spread misinformation” and justify its actions in Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and there is no viable international legal way to change this reality,” said Jean-Pierre. “The reality is that this is a larger position that rotates to board members month by month in alphabetical order.”
(With information from Reuters)
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
