Statement by Mr Stephen Ntsoane at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security
19 December 2017
Mr President,
We would like congratulate Japan for assuming the Presidency of the Council for December, and for hosting this debate, reminding us of the central mandate that we are all tasked with pursuing. The centrality of today’s open debate to the work of this Council, and, indeed, the entire United Nations cannot be overemphasized. Therefore, today’s debate is both timely and fundamental.
The United Nations Security Council, born from the ruins of World War II, was created to maintain international peace and security. This also entails the active pursuit of peace, security as a prerequisite for sustainable development and global prosperity. Since the 1940s the world has transformed significantly, and the nature of the threats to global peace and security has changed accordingly. Today, the conflict landscape is largely constituted by intrastate conflicts, with only a handful of traditional interstate wars, which have either frozen, or been reduced in intensity. Indeed, today conflicts largely concern the internal strife of our Member States and transnational threats to them. Thus the nature of the conflicts that our forebears envisaged at the creation of this organization has changed.
Mr President,
This fundamental change in the nature of international conflict has meant greater complexity in the challenges this Council faces in pursuing and maintaining peace. Unfortunately, while the world has changed, this Council has largely remained the same. Contemporary challenges have brought to the fore divisions within the Council, in particular among its permanent members. At times, this has even led to paralysis of the work of the Council, which in real terms has cost human lives. For example, the situation between Israel and Palestine has been on the Council’s agenda almost since its creation, yet there has been limited, meaningful action from the Council on the matter. This was most evident two days ago, in this chamber, when Council action was prevented by a veto-holding Member-State. Furthermore, the Council’s divisions on the situation in Syria has shown that when the Council is divided, it is unable to meaningfully contribute to peace; its core mandate. This paralysis may at times necessitate the involvement of the entire General Assembly under the, “Uniting for Peace,” formula set out in UN General Assembly Resolution 377.
The Council is sorely in need of reform. Japan, through its excellent work as Chair of the Working Group on Working Methods has helped to make incremental improvements in the Council’s working methods and we commend the recent work in again updating document 507. These developments on working methods are necessary to improve the manner in which the Council works and its effectiveness.
Mr President,
Ultimately, the advancement of working methods does not obviate the need for comprehensive reform of the Council in order for it to better represent the configuration of today’s world. Reform resulting in a more representative Council, we believe, will allow it to be more effective in dealing with the complex contemporary challenges to international peace and security.
With regard to emerging and asymmetrical threats such as terrorism, only a broader multilateral approach that does not overemphasis a military solution, but addresses the broader root causes of conflict, and its prolongation is essential. We need a truly global and coordinated response to deal with such threats, which includes the scourge of transnational crime, and the trafficking in persons.
Mr President
Today, we also face the problem posed by countries that continue to rely on nuclear deterrence for their security, which entails postures that threaten regional and global security. The fact that the Permanent Members actively promote compliance with nuclear non-proliferation norms, but continue to hold their fingers on the trigger of these apocalyptic instruments and fail to implement their nuclear disarmament obligations and related commitments creates a credibility problem for the multilateral nuclear non-proliferation regime and the ability of the Council to deal with such matters. We are deeply concerned about the possible use of nuclear weapons, whether by design, accident or miscalculation, particularly at a time of heightened international and regional tensions.
South Africa supports the non-proliferation agenda, particularly as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), as well as the Pelindaba Treaty which designates Africa a nuclear-weapon-free zone while promoting the inalienable right of States to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and technology. We were one of the core sponsors of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) adopted this September. We welcome the adoption of this treaty, which aims to establish the highest international norm against nuclear weapons through their prohibition, leading towards their total elimination, and call on UN Member States that have not signed the treaty to do so.
In conclusion Mr President,
The fulfillment of the central purpose of the United Nations, the maintenance of international peace and security, depends on its ability to effectively respond to the threats that exist globally. The world has changed, yet we are stuck with anachronistic structures, which, it is no surprise, are found wanting and ineffective in dealing with complex contemporary challenges to international peace and security. We need greater representation and a stronger voice for those closest to and most able to assist in an effective response to these crises. We need a Council that is adapted to proper multilateral solutions to the threats posed by the world of today, marked by consistent and non-discriminatory decision-making and the pursuance of collective, rather than narrow national security interests.
It is against this backdrop that South Africa will be introducing a resolution in the General Assembly that will mark the centenary of the birth of the late President Nelson Mandela and which proposes a Peace Summit to mark this event. This Summit is aimed at reinvigorating the global commitment to international peace and security and we call on all Member States to support and co-sponsor this resolution to keep the legacy of Mandela alive, in striving to achieve global peace.
Thank you.
Rev. Thursday, 26-Jul-2018 11:23 AM