ID :
21743
Mon, 09/29/2008 - 09:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/21743
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RI CALLS FOR DEMOCRATIZATION IN UN SECURITY COUNCIL
New York, Sept 27 (ANTARA) - Indonesia underlines the need for a democratization of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by among others putting an end to the misuse of the veto right of its members.
"The practice of misusing the veto right by the permanent members of the UNSC that often paralyzed the council must no longer be allowed," Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda told the 63rd UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting here on Saturday (local time).
Democratization is one of the aspects that Indonesia has paid its attention to in the meeting besides issues of food crisis and climate change.
Hassan said state sovereignty had to be protected if the world wants to see the spirit of democracy in international relations.
"This is important because without democracy a world organization like the UN will not be effective," he said.
"The failure of the Security Council so far in dealing with various challenges to global security was the result of its being still undemocratic," he said.
The minister said to make the Security Council more democratic, the exercise of a veto by the UN permanent members must be regulated.
So far only the permanent members have a vetoright, namely the US, the UK, France, Russia and China.
Democratization in the Security Council also means distributing membership evenly namely not to geographical representation only, he said. "In view of that the majority of world civilization also has to be represented. The number of Moslems in the world reaching 1.1 billion needs to be represented in the Security Council if the Council really wants to be democratic," he said.
He said Indonesia also felt the importance of democratization at regional levels. "In the Association of Southeast Asian Naions (Asean) we have paid attention to it. We have changed Asean into a community committed to advancing democracy and human rights," he said.
In this context, the minister said Indonesia in December 2008 would launch a Bali Democracy Forum which is open to countries in Asia and the Pacific for an exchange of experience in developing democracy.
On the food crisis the minister reminded that the problem was really serious. "I did not exaggerate it. According to the FAO the price of foods will continue to be high in the next three or five years," he said.
He also said that rice supplies had fallen to the lowest level since mid-1970s, adding supply of flour had also dropped to its lowest point since 1948.
He said a dire need of food was seen in various parts of the world, as shown by several food-related riots in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Carribean.
Thirty-three countries with different socio-political backgrounds are riot-prone because of hunger and starvation in certain countries.
"We must in full spirit overcome global food supply vulnerability, otherwise there will be a food crisis that may threaten peace in the developing countries and pockets of poverty in the developed countries," he said.
"The practice of misusing the veto right by the permanent members of the UNSC that often paralyzed the council must no longer be allowed," Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda told the 63rd UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting here on Saturday (local time).
Democratization is one of the aspects that Indonesia has paid its attention to in the meeting besides issues of food crisis and climate change.
Hassan said state sovereignty had to be protected if the world wants to see the spirit of democracy in international relations.
"This is important because without democracy a world organization like the UN will not be effective," he said.
"The failure of the Security Council so far in dealing with various challenges to global security was the result of its being still undemocratic," he said.
The minister said to make the Security Council more democratic, the exercise of a veto by the UN permanent members must be regulated.
So far only the permanent members have a vetoright, namely the US, the UK, France, Russia and China.
Democratization in the Security Council also means distributing membership evenly namely not to geographical representation only, he said. "In view of that the majority of world civilization also has to be represented. The number of Moslems in the world reaching 1.1 billion needs to be represented in the Security Council if the Council really wants to be democratic," he said.
He said Indonesia also felt the importance of democratization at regional levels. "In the Association of Southeast Asian Naions (Asean) we have paid attention to it. We have changed Asean into a community committed to advancing democracy and human rights," he said.
In this context, the minister said Indonesia in December 2008 would launch a Bali Democracy Forum which is open to countries in Asia and the Pacific for an exchange of experience in developing democracy.
On the food crisis the minister reminded that the problem was really serious. "I did not exaggerate it. According to the FAO the price of foods will continue to be high in the next three or five years," he said.
He also said that rice supplies had fallen to the lowest level since mid-1970s, adding supply of flour had also dropped to its lowest point since 1948.
He said a dire need of food was seen in various parts of the world, as shown by several food-related riots in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Carribean.
Thirty-three countries with different socio-political backgrounds are riot-prone because of hunger and starvation in certain countries.
"We must in full spirit overcome global food supply vulnerability, otherwise there will be a food crisis that may threaten peace in the developing countries and pockets of poverty in the developed countries," he said.
