Ouch! The World Health Organization’s chief’s closing statement landed hard, even as it echoed many other influential calls for UNSC reform.

I am particularly reminded of the Kenyan ambassador’s speech just two years ago, at the outset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: “The charter of the United Nations continues to wilt under the relentless assault of the powerful … including members of this Security Council, breaching international law with little regard. Multilateralism lies on its deathbed tonight. It has been assaulted today as it has been by other powerful states in the recent past”.

At its core, the problem lies with the founding of the United Nations Security Council to acknowledge the contributions of the 193 U.N. states but to overwhelmingly favour the stance of any ONE of 5 permanent, founding members: the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and France.

This is how Russia was unilaterally able to veto the broad worldwide condemnation of its actions, by simply invoking its inalienable right to plunge the Security Council into a deadlock.

As the United States of America are now exercising that right, we continue to witness the current paralysis of this important UN Organ for peace as it fails to deliver an urgent ceasefire resolution despite grave violations of international human rights and crimes against humanity.

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