Devices modified by Israel at production, Lebanon security sources say
world22 hours ago
The United States supports creating two permanent United Nations Security Council seats for African states and one seat to be rotated among small island developing states, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield is set to announce later on Thursday.
The move comes as the US seeks to repair ties with Africa, where many are unhappy about Washington's support for Israel's war in Gaza, and deepen relations with Pacific Islands nations important to countering Chinese influence in the region.
Thomas-Greenfield told Reuters she hopes the announcement will "move this agenda forward in a way that we can achieve Security Council reform at some point in the future," describing it as part of US President Joe Biden's legacy.
The push for two permanent African seats and a rotating seat for small island developing states is in addition to Washington's long-held support for India, Japan and Germany to also get permanent seats on the council.
Developing nations have long demanded permanent seats on the Security Council, the most powerful body in the United Nations. But years of talks on reform have proved fruitless and it is unclear whether U.S. support could fuel action.
Ahead of making the announcement at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Thursday, Thomas-Greenfield clarified to Reuters that Washington does not support expanding veto power beyond the five countries that hold it.
The Security Council is charged with maintaining international peace and security and has the power to impose sanctions and arms embargos and authoriae the use of force.
When the UN was founded in 1945, the Security Council had 11 members. This increased in 1965 to 15 members, made up of 10 elected states serving two-year terms and five permanent veto-wielding nations: Russia, China, France, the U.S. and Britain.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres backs Security Council reform.
"You have a Security Council that corresponds exactly to the situation after the Second World War ... that has a problem of legitimacy, and that has a problem of effectiveness, and it needs to be reformed," Guterres told Reuters on Wednesday.
Any changes to the Security Council membership is done by amending the founding UN Charter. This needs the approval and ratification by two-thirds of the General Assembly, including the Security Council's current five veto powers.
The 193-member UN General Assembly has annually discussed reform of the Security Council for more than a decade. But momentum has grown in recent years as geopolitical rivalries have deadlocked the council on several issues, particularly after permanent veto-wielding member Russia invaded Ukraine.
Devices modified by Israel at production, Lebanon security sources say
world22 hours ago
Top US diplomat is visiting Egypt hoping to advance efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and strengthen ties with Cairo
world22 hours ago
A UNRWA official said the Israeli government is also 'increasingly phasing out representation from those engaged in reporting on the atrocities'
world1 day ago
Of the 2.8 million private cars registered in the Scandinavian country, 754,303 are all-electric, compared to 753,905 that run on petrol
world1 day ago
Months of behind-the-scenes negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have failed to halt the fighting between Hamas and Israel, apart from a one-week truce beginning in late November
world1 day ago
Modi's government has frequently deployed bulldozers and earthmovers to flatten property owned by those facing trial, saying it targets illegal construction and is a firm response to criminal activity
world1 day ago
If approved, Oxford Street would join other major shopping hubs such as Times Square in New York and La Rambla in Barcelona that have gone fully traffic-free
world1 day ago