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Reform 'Imperative', Secretary-General Tells Security Council, Calling for Expansion of Membership, Renewed Commitment to 'We the People'

Meetings Coverage
Security Council

10024th Meeting (AM & PM)

SC/16201
24 October 2025

Marking the UN's eightieth anniversary, the Secretary-General today reminded the Security Council that its mission is not about great Powers but about "the lives of parents, refugees and soldiers — about human suffering and human hope", urging the "privileged few who sit at this table" to uphold that mandate.

UN Chief António Guterres recalled that the Council's purpose remains rooted in people's hopes for peace, symbolized by the humble note placed in its first ballot box in 1946: "May God be with every member of the United Nations organization, and through your noble efforts bring lasting peace to us all".

Yet the organ's legitimacy today is fragile. Too often, States have acted outside the Charter, eroding faith in the United Nations and setting a dangerous precedent that others may follow. "Reform of the Security Council is imperative and long overdue", he stressed.

Expansion of membership is essential to ensure representation and fairness, especially for Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Asia-Pacific, whose voices are underrepresented despite bearing much of the burden of peacekeeping, Mr. Guterres said. A more inclusive Council could help overcome deadlocks and strengthen stability in today's multipolar world. At the same time, restraint in the use of the veto is necessary.

The UN emblem itself, bearing the olive crown, embodies that vision of peacemaking. The "privileged few who sit at this table" must be worthy of that crown. Looking ahead, the call is clear: open the doors of the chamber, reform the institution, and make it fit for the challenges of the next eighty years, he said.

Presidential Statement Reaffirms Commitment to UN Charter, as Delegates Trade Barbs over Decline of Rules-Based Order

At the meeting's outset, the Council — in a presidential statement read out by the representative of Russian Federation (to be issued as document PRST/2025/7), in his capacity as President for the month of October — reaffirmed its commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and an international order based on international law. It also reaffirmed its own primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Acknowledging the vital role of peacekeeping operations and special political missions, it welcomed cooperation with regional and subregional organizations and arrangements.

In the ensuing open debate — held on UN Day, marking 80 years since the Charter's entry into force — the Russian Federation's delegate, in his national capacity, noted the UN's many accomplishments over the last eight decades, as well as its many lows. He said that the question of Palestine remains outstanding, and that certain Member States are now assuming the role of global rulers. "In an effort to maintain its waning influence, the West divided the world into 'us' and 'them' — 'democracies' and 'autocracies' — a group of those who are chosen, and those who are violating their imposed order," he added.

As a result, many of the UN Charter's principles remain only on paper. From the invasion of Iraq and the orchestration of Colour Revolutions to the recent invasion of Iran, Western States justify their actions by citing ephemeral threats, Moscow said. But those adventures have only resulted in tragedy and eroded the UN's authority. "It is our shared responsibility to prevent further deterioration of the global situation [...] for the sake of future generations," he stressed.

Several Council members pushed back, with the United Kingdom's delegate saying: "We must highlight the hypocrisy of the Russian Federation positioning itself as a champion of the Charter." That country's invasion of Ukraine and other malign activities targeting numerous States raise serious doubts about its adherence to the very Charter it claims to celebrate. "This makes a mockery of the very platform we have been given in the Security Council," he said.

"We need look no further than Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine," added Denmark's delegate. This hypocrisy should not detract from this opportunity to reflect on and strengthen the UN, which has never lacked in frameworks for action from the SDGs to the Pact for the Future.

"Give credit where credit is due," echoed Slovenia's delegate, while also acknowledging mounting violations of the Charter and international law in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and elsewhere. The Organization must address emerging security threats such as climate change, cyberattacks, and terrorism which "do not stop at our borders" and demand collective action.

UN Reform: More Representation, Ideals Intact

"We must reform the UN without violating our ideals," said France's delegate. The Council itself must also be reformed to become more representative, he stressed, reiterating France's support for efforts to curb the use of the permanent members' veto power. In a similar vein, Greece's representative called for curbing veto use in cases of atrocity crimes. Reforms must make the UN "fit for purpose" to meet twenty-first century challenges, she added.

Speakers also shared how the UN helped shape the world in which they gained independence or healed from conflict. The Republic of Korea's representative recalled that his country was "liberated from colonial rule in the very year the United Nations was founded". Panama's delegate highlighted the country's journey to full sovereignty through the UN, noting how former military sites became the City of Knowledge, a regional hub for education, science, and sustainable development. "The UN stood with us" during civil war, remembered Sierra Leone's delegate.

African countries also spotlighted the need to correct "historical injustices" against the continent, with Algeria's delegate stressing that this action must be done in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration. "Our scars are particular," added Somalia's delegate, pointing to the mapmakers who carved Africa apart and the freedom fighters who put it back together. Somalia entered the family of nations in 1960, placing its faith in the UN as the ultimate guarantor of justice, but that "faith is now under strain", he said. Africa must be allocated two permanent seats, "to do otherwise is to sustain an architecture of institutionalized inequality", he underscored.

Also on the topic of fair representative, Guyana's delegate pointed out: "In no other international structure in the world can 6.6 per cent of the vote cancel 93.3 per cent." Echoing other speakers, she voiced support for permanent membership for Africa and the Latin America and the Caribbean region, as well as a rotating seat for small island developing States. Pakistan's delegate said that permanent members who are "open to expanding their exclusive club" in order to preserve their position of privilege must instead commit to genuine reform and also voiced support for the African model of regional representation.

Out with Double Standards, In with Just, Equitable Governance

Speakers presented specific solutions to reforming the Council with China's delegate spotlighting his President's "Global Governance Initiative". "It presents China's solution to how to address the widening global-governance deficit and advance the establishment of a more just and equitable global-governance system," he said.

The UN has "lost its way," said the United States' delegate, adding that as the largest budget contributor, "a strong return on our investment" is expected. Washington, D.C., calls for a purely merit-based selection of the next Secretary-General, one who will "reject initiatives outside the Charter's purpose, prioritize accountability and transparency, and respect State sovereignty".

Other speakers described the role the UN played in shaping their nations, with the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait recalling the Council's decision to support his own country against a foreign invasion 25 years ago. "The people of Kuwait will always remember this historic stance with loyalty and gratitude," he added.

Venezuela's representative, speaking for the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, said the Charter's principles are "our shield, our guarantee of survival". But these principles are being eroded through military deployments in Latin America "disguised as actions of 'legitimate defence' that seek to simply advance regime-change policies and revive the infamous Monroe Doctrine".

Indonesia's delegate described the UN as "a modern-day Noah's Ark" whose foundation has been eroded by double standards, adding that a vessel built in 1945 must undergo necessary repair to meet the demands of 2025.

Respect for State Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity Must Prevail Over Empire-Building, Use of Force

Kyrgyzstan's delegate, underscoring the importance of strengthening the Organization's peacebuilding architecture to defuse tensions before they ignite, emphasized that preventive diplomacy and mediation remain vital tools to address disputes before they escalate into open conflict.

Building on that emphasis on the Charter, the representative of Liechtenstein recalled that it explicitly states that no party to a dispute shall vote on related Council decisions. "An end to colonialism must also mean an end to empire-building," he said, regretting that Moscow continues to vote on draft resolutions concerning its war in Ukraine. Latvia's delegate added: "We cannot accept a reality in which a permanent member of the Security Council exercises the principle 'might makes right' by invading a sovereign State".

Germany's representative likewise stressed that permanent Council members bear a particular responsibility to uphold the Charter, including its "most fundamental" rule prohibiting the use of force against the territorial integrity of others, lamenting that it was "unfortunately necessary" to reiterate this principle as a permanent member continues its war of aggression against a neighbour.

Echoing that view, Iran's delegate affirmed that "the Charter's principles —sovereign equality, non-interference, peaceful settlement of disputes and the prohibition of the threat or use of force — remain universal and indivisible", citing as examples Israel's unprovoked 13 June attack on Iran, backed by the United States, and the failed attempt by three European participants in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to invoke the snapback mechanism under resolution 2231 (2015). The snapback effort, rejected by key Council members and 121 Non-Aligned Movement States, "lacks legal validity and is null and void", he concluded.