‘Big five’s veto power violates human rights’

...they frustrated all attempts at solving problems. TUN DR MAHATHIR MOHAMAD Prime minister

NEW YORK: The veto power claimed by five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council is undemocratic and has only led to more conflicts, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

He said the veto power, awarded when the UN was formed after World War 2, went against human rights principles.

“It ensured that solutions to conflicts could be negated by any one of them.

“Broken up into ideological factions, they frustrated all attempts at solving problems,” he said in his address at the 74th UN General Assembly here on Friday.

The UN Security Council veto power refers to the power of the council’s five permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — to veto any substantive resolution.

“Each one of them can negate the wishes of almost 200 other members. It is undemocratic.

“How much longer should this group be allowed to exercise this power? How long? Forever? The unspoken time frame seems to be eternal.”

The veto power, he added, had resulted in an arms race with each of the privileged five relying on their military might to challenge any attempt to take their power away.

Dr Mahathir said the veto power structure had not only rendered the UN incapable of preventing wars between nations, it also enabled the promotion of wars within and between countries.

“True, European countries have not gone to war with each other over the past two-thirds of a century. But elsewhere, there is evidence that European countries have caused wars to break out, arms and funds to be supplied and active participation in prolonging wars. It is good for business, for weapons sale.”