Pakistan opposes new permanent seats on UN Security Council

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has called for the abolition or strict restriction of the United Nations Security Council’s veto power, warning that adding more permanent members would deepen inequalities and risk further institutional paralysis.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Monday, Pakistani delegate Gul Qaiser Sarwani said the misuse of the veto undermined the Security Council’s effectiveness and the credibility of the United Nations, according to state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).

“The misuse of the veto undermines the Security Council’s effectiveness and the credibility of the UN, while giving the permanent five unmatched influence throughout the UN system,” Sarwani told the 193-member Assembly.

The debate focused on reforming the 15-member Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security. Its five permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom — hold veto power over substantive resolutions.

Pakistan opposes more permanent members

Sarwani, a counsellor and political coordinator at Pakistan’s UN mission, warned that expanding the Council’s permanent membership and extending veto powers to additional countries would reinforce existing inequalities.

“Let us be clear: the problems cannot be the solution,” he said, reiterating Pakistan’s opposition to proposals for additional permanent seats.

His remarks come amid a campaign by India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, collectively known as the Group of Four, for permanent membership of the Security Council.

Pakistan, working with Italy-led partners under the Uniting for Consensus (UFC) group, opposes adding new individual permanent members to an expanded Council.

Sarwani said such an expansion would perpetuate historical privileges, create new centres of power and increase the risk of institutional paralysis.

“We believe that the veto should be abolished or at least severely restricted; it must not be expanded,” he said.

Elected members proposed as a counterbalance

Pakistan supports efforts to address the use of the veto under General Assembly resolution 76/262, adopted in April 2022. The resolution requires the Assembly to meet within 10 working days whenever a veto is cast in the Security Council.

Sarwani said any measures to restrict or restrain the use of the veto must remain consistent with the UN Charter.

Addressing the veto’s ability to block Security Council action, he said Pakistan believed the imbalance could be reduced by restricting its use or strengthening the representation and role of elected Council members.

Increasing the number of elected members and changing the threshold for approving Council decisions could make the body more democratic and provide a more effective check on the veto, he said.

UN chief assembly official calls for accountability

Opening the meeting, General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh said the veto initiative had become an established mechanism for transparency, accountability and collective responsibility.

He noted that the Assembly had convened 21 such meetings since the initiative was introduced.

Rahman commended the Security Council for submitting special reports to the Assembly following vetoes and praised the participation of permanent members in the ensuing debates.

He said the international community benefited when the two UN bodies operated in balance, with each fulfilling its distinct but complementary responsibilities under the charter.

The Council’s effectiveness has direct consequences for people affected by conflict, insecurity and humanitarian suffering, Rahman said, adding that the costs of inaction fell first on those most affected by violence and instability.

He expressed hope that the council would reach the consensus needed to act decisively for peace, reducing the need for the veto initiative in the future.

Rahman urged delegates to ensure that the debates remained meaningful rather than repetitive, helping sustain dialogue and diplomacy.

“No veto should bring an end to dialogue and diplomacy,” he said, calling for the principles of the UN Charter to guide collective efforts to achieve peace.

During the ensuing debate, delegates also highlighted the existing and potential consequences of the veto system for regions and territories far removed from where Security Council decisions are made.