The image of the United Nations Organisation (UNO) has never been as tarnished as it is today. Both the public and international law experts have questioned the organisation's credibility due to its failure to prevent conflicts and acts of aggression. The recent scathing indictment by none other than UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stating that international laws are being violated and essential resources like food and water are being weaponised as tools of war, lends credence to the charges made by independent voices and democratic minds regarding the ongoing aggression against weaker nations worldwide.
While speaking on the floor of the General Assembly, UN chief Antonio Guterres declared that the United Nations is facing unprecedented attacks on its founding principles, as it marks 80 years since the organisation's charter was created. "Today, we see assaults on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter like never before," the secretary-general told members of the General Assembly. He listed threats that included breaches of international humanitarian law, the targeting of civilians, and the weaponisation of food and water - without citing those responsible.
"On and on, we see an all too familiar pattern: Follow when the charter suits, ignore when it does not," Guterres said.
History testifies that the veto power wielded by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council has consistently been exercised to serve their vested geopolitical interests, rather than to uphold the principles of justice, equality, and human rights enshrined in the UN Charter.
The disregard for UN-backed organisations like the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can be measured by the fact that the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his accomplices for their alleged genocidal crimes against Palestinians and crimes against humanity, but the declared war criminals not only remain at large but also continue to commit their crimes with impunity. The world was taken aback when, following the arrest warrants issued by the ICC, Hungarian President Viktor Orbán announced plans to host Benjamin Netanyahu, thus clearly defying international law. Critics have also conveyed their concerns unequivocally about this defiance and denial, which can be attributed to Israel's political alignment with the West, historically supporting Israeli occupation forces' crimes against humanity in the name of self-defence and annexation of the West Bank in Palestine.
Following the unfolding catastrophic crisis due to the blockade of aid and starvation as a weapon of war, The Hague and Brussels saw hundreds of thousands of people protesting against the ongoing onslaught against Gazans and subsequently asking European governments to end arms supply to Israel. Yet, these calls by massive public demonstrations in the said capitals and elsewhere have fallen on deaf ears. Despite this, these countries continue to claim to be champions of democracy. However, actions speak louder than words. Not only that, the West continues to supply arms, which are being used to obliterate Palestinians.
The discrimination against weaker nations can be gauged from the fact that although Iran was open to IAEA inspection and is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the USA bombed Iran to achieve Israel's stated mission of destroying nuclear sites. Meanwhile, Israel continues to evade inspection by the IAEA and has refused to sign the NPT. Israel is included in the list of nine nuclear-armed states in the arms race and upgrading existing war machines, according to the recently revealed report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The problem is that major UN-backed entities are highly Eurocentric and dominated by decision-makers from the Global North, who are historically detached from prevailing ground realities in the Global South. This concentration of power and decision-making in the hands of those belonging to a particular region and race ultimately enables various institutions to tighten screws around the necks of countries that fall out of favor or are targeted at the whims of big powers aligning with the international establishment that seeks to bend sovereign states to their will. This networked politics prevailing in global order is unleashing selective justice and witch-hunting.
Critics have questioned the credibility of the IAEA, as the organisation reportedly declared that no radiation was coming from the three destroyed nuclear sites after the US attack. Recently, the UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi reportedly stated that Iran could produce enriched uranium "in a matter of months". Such inconsistent reporting and fluctuating ideas have sparked concerns, with some questioning the IAEA's independence and accusing it of serving the interests of powerful nations. The present pressure from the IAEA team for inspection is seen by many as assessing the degree of damage caused by US strikes on the nuclear sites. News in international media outlets has contested the US claim of completely destroying the nuclear sites in question. Under such prevailing mistrust, the Iranian government has barred IAEA officials and subsequently denied access to its sites.
Tehran viewing the nuclear agency (IAEA) as an international body "under immense [political] pressure from Israel and the United States" can be measured from the fact that the former has barred the latter's request to visit nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the United States during a 12-day conflict earlier this month, saying: "Rafael Grossi's insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent. Iran reserves the right to take any steps in defence of its interests, its people and its sovereignty."
This is the reason why critics have called for restructuring the UNSC and ensuring a balance of power by incorporating more diverse voices from the Global South. The countries wielding veto power - the permanent five members - have used this veto power for global political clout and subsequently supporting their geopolitical interests and political games. The US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution for complete, unconditional and immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Instances such as these suggest that various states pick and choose when it comes to implementing orders from UN-backed organisations.
The principles of equality, justice, freedom and fair play, etc., the bedrock of the UN Charter and international diplomacy, have continued to plummet in recent years, especially following manufactured famine as a weapon of war and subsequent systemic obliteration of Palestinians by Israel and Ukrainians bearing the brunt of war imposed by Russia. Both the aggressors have acted with impunity since Russia itself is wielded with veto power and Israel is supported by the USA, wielded with veto power.
The Gaza government media office recently condemned the discovery of oxycodone pills reportedly discovered in flour bags distributed by "American-Israeli" aid centres. Oxycodone is an opioid meant to treat severe and long-term pain, often prescribed to cancer patients. The drug is said to be highly addictive and can have life-threatening effects, including breathing complications and hallucinations. The media office's statement comes after several social media posts shared images of pills purportedly discovered in flour bags in Gaza. Palestinian pharmacist Omar Hamad described the discovery of the pills as "the most despicable form of genocide". Khalil Mazen Abu Nada, a Palestinian doctor in Gaza, also posted about the drug on Facebook, describing it as a "means to obliterate our societal awareness". The Gaza government media office said it held Israel "fully responsible for this heinous crime of spreading addiction and destroying the Palestinian social fabric from within".
The United Nations was forged in the fire of World War II, with the Charter prioritising global political cohesion, thereby ending the conflagration of conflicts with collective political wisdom at the Security Council by its members. However, the United Nations Security Council has failed to ward off the drive towards hegemony. Israel's desire for regional hegemony is a top priority of the US, hence Israel continually gets American political and veto weight behind its actions in Palestine. This has generated global concern, with critics calling for reforms. The harrowing tales of helpless Gazans facing Israeli onslaught, supported by the West, have triggered a political heatwave, ultimately calling for restructuring of the UNSC. The call for change is gaining momentum, with independent minds advocating for reform of the United Nations Security Council and other organs to create a balance of power that protects weaker nations from aggression and annexation.
Ireland has blazed a trail and become the first country in the EU to bring forward legislation that bans trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
Blindness to the barbarian acts applied by Israel on Palestine and aggression against Iran by the USA and its protégé has deepened public perception into the reality that the UN Charter is being shredded to bits; hence urgent recalibration is needed to meet the demands of emerging realities. If left unattended, the UN will become a forum known for making long-winded speeches and being a bystander when it comes to supporting vulnerable populations and countries. Arrogant ruling elites in the corridors of power in the West are willing to sacrifice democratic principles on the altar of political arrogance but are unwilling to relinquish their historical support for the Zionist state, stemming from colonial thinking in foreign policy. And this very thinking is shaping decision-making in major UN-backed organs and subsequently disregarding the founding principles of the UN Charter, as highlighted by UN Chief António Guterres.
Crushing pro-Palestine sentiments
Proscribing the pro-Palestine campaign group called Palestine Action in Britain is nothing but an attack on democratic society shouting out against the genocidal state. United Nations experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council have reportedly urged Britain to reconsider its move, arguing that acts of property damage without the intention to endanger life should not be considered terrorism.
Reportedly, the US revoked visas for British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan after they chanted "death to the IDF" against the Israeli military at the Glastonbury Festival. Chanting "death to the IDF" prompted the US authorities concerned to cancel the visas in question. What about the IDF that is involved in systemic obliteration of Palestinians? Recently, a certain video went viral in which one could see a blonde being overpowered by American Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Someone had commented that "human dignity should be upheld while dealing with..." Upon this, someone from the Global North responded contemptuously, declaring, "Those in the Third World should not be commenting..." This typifies the deep-rooted psyche in both public and power corridors in the Western world. They are democratic in their own lands but undemocratic outside. The Western world has undermined various Third World countries, including the Middle East, through orchestrated regime changes and political intrigues. And they continue to lecture on democratic principles to the Third World. But their own political fabric is deeply ingrained, and they display political intolerance based on racism. Various European states were exposed while dealing with and subsequently embracing refugees from conflict zones through discriminatory preferences in terms of skin color and faith.
Shrinking democratic space and eroding free speech are evident in the fact that pro-Palestine sentiments are being crushed with authoritarianism across the West. Besides, expressing solidarity with Palestine or criticising Israel on digital forums like Facebook brings in its wake a volley of toxicity from the staunch support base prevailing across powerful countries.
Ireland blazing the trail
Ireland has blazed a trail and become the first country in the EU to bring forward legislation that bans trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The deputy prime minister Simon Harris described the bill as a moral and legal response to the "horrifying situation" in Gaza and Israel's continued settlement expansion in occupied territories - actions deemed illegal under international law. He acknowledged Ireland's isolation within the EU on this issue, saying that no other EU country has yet introduced similar legislation. "We're pretty lonely out there," he said. "But in the absence of Europe moving together, we're going to go ahead with our own domestic legislation." He called on his EU counterparts to join Ireland in pushing for collective action.
The legislation follows the 2024 International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion, which concluded that Israel's settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem violate international law. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez minced no words and said it would be a double standard for the EU to pursue further sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine while not sanctioning Israel for the war in Gaza. He added that "it makes no sense" that the bloc has imposed 18 rounds of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, but "in a double standard, is not even capable of suspending an association deal."
"I will be saying to my European colleagues that the people of Europe find it incomprehensible that Europe does not seem to be in a position to put pressure on Israel, and leverage on Israel, to stop this war in Gaza, to stop the continuing slaughter of children and innocent civilians," he said. Giving a shut-up call to those trying to drown out sane voices, he said: "The tactic of undermining those who would even question what is happening in Gaza also needs to stop."
Someone correctly commented that "The Brits learned that Chamberlain diplomacy did not work on Hitler and Germany. Now the World needs to learn that Chamberlain diplomacy will not work on Netanyahu and Israel. Official recognition of the State of Palestine and extreme sanctions and total embargoes on Israel, travel bans, freezing of assets, expulsion of Israeli diplomats and suspension of Israel from the UN General Assembly are what Israel will understand, other than military force, which none are willing to engage in yet, even though there's another genocide going on."
Colonial racial capitalism
A UN report lists companies complicit in Israel's genocide: Who are they? Published in AL JAZEERA, it has left no face untouched in terms of their joining the occupation forces in advancing their agenda. UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) Francesca Albanese has issued a new report mapping corporations aiding Israel in the displacement of Palestinians and its genocidal war on Gaza, in breach of international law. It named several US giants among companies aiding Israel's occupation and war on Gaza. Companies from other countries - from China to Mexico - are also named.
The 48 corporate actors, including United States tech giants Microsoft, Alphabet Inc. (Google's parent company) and Amazon. A database of more than 1000 corporate entities was also put together as part of the investigation. "[Israel's] forever-occupation has become the ideal testing ground for arms manufacturers and Big Tech – providing significant supply and demand, little oversight, and zero accountability – while investors and private and public institutions profit freely," the report said. "Companies are no longer merely implicated in occupation – they may be embedded in an economy of genocide," it said, in a reference to Israel's ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip.
The report states that "colonial endeavours and their associated genocides have historically been driven and enabled by the corporate sector." Israel's expansion on Palestinian land is one example of "colonial racial capitalism", where corporate entities profit from an illegal occupation. Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, "entities that previously enabled and profited from Palestinian elimination and erasure within the economy of occupation, instead of disengaging are now involved in the economy of genocide," the report said.
UN Special Rapporteur has called on the world to end trade with Israel's 'economy of genocide'. What is the difference between the IDF, which has turned the Gaza Strip into a killing field, and corporations from countries highlighted in the report that are aiding Israel in the displacement of Palestinians and its genocidal war on Gaza? Not only are Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal, but doing business with them is also a breach of international law. If Israel gets away with the Gaza genocide, which seems likely as the world watches and various countries prioritise capitalist considerations over humanitarian law, the next target in the Middle East won't be far behind. The attack on Iran by the US and Israel is a living testament to this invasive modus operandi.
What the international community needs to focus on is that Israel, a protégé of America, has followed the same Cold War tactic of invading internationally marginalised Palestine and the vulnerable Iran, citing looming security threats and terrorist activities - a brainchild of American laboratories that were used as a political tool to achieve ulterior objectives.
The world is bigger than five
In an insightful write-up titled "80 years on, is the UN in need of a structural overhaul?" by Kazim Alam who offered excellent ideas on the current issue in question. Among global leaders, Turkish President Erdoğan has been a vocal critic of the UN's lopsided structure that favours big powers against the rest of the countries. His oft-quoted phrase, "The world is bigger than five," perfectly captures the UNSC's oligarchic structure, where the five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US — wield veto power, often paralysing action on critical issues.
Erdoğan's call resonates with the Global South, which sees the UNSC as a relic of a post-World War II order that no longer reflects today's geopolitical realities. "The UN has many lacking points since it is an organisation of the 20th century, which signifies the victorious powers of World War II," Helin Sari Ertem, professor of international relations at Istanbul Medeniyet University, tells TRT World.
The UNSC's handling of Israel's war on Gaza is an example of this failure. Despite Israel's genocidal war on Gaza that has killed over 56,000 Palestinians since October 2023, the UNSC has been hamstrung by vetoes, particularly from the US, resulting in largely performative condemnations. The UN's failures have amplified the demand for reforms, particularly from rising powers like Türkiye, India, Brazil, and South Africa. Ertem says these nations are not seeking to dismantle the international system but to make it more inclusive.
"Türkiye's position is not about changing the whole system, refusing the international criteria, norms, values, etc. What Türkiye is demanding today is a better international organisation," she says. She calls for expanding the UNSC's permanent membership to include diverse voices, arguing that the new structure of the UN should be comprehensive and represent different geographies, cultures, and civilisations.
But the path to reform seems fraught with challenges. The veto power of the permanent five remains a barrier. Any attempt to overhaul the UNSC, ICJ, or IAEA requires navigating complex geopolitical rivalries. Ertem warns that the current system's "unfairness" fuels global discontent, pointing to Israel's genocidal war on Gaza as a stark example. "Israel's unfairness is one of the basic examples, which is once again reminding the international community, especially the people of the Global South, that what we have today is just the pro-Western, Eurocentric, even US-centric world body."
These challenging situations have not only challenged the composition of the permanent five members of the Security Council, but the credibility of the council has also been questioned. The political ideology and manipulative agendas pursued by them have unquestionably shaken the UN, as its founding principles are being violated by the aggressors through direct action against sovereignty of nations as well as aiding and abetting through cruel capitalist considerations. It is very difficult to disagree with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in terms of diversity in representation. But the root cause of the prevailing problems that have plagued the UN is the 'might is right' approach in international affairs and its endorsement in the Security Council, and subsequently, as a result, the aggressors are off the radar. No solution will be sustainable until the aggressors - whether wielding veto power or those supported and subsequently bailed out by the veto powers, are held accountable.
Sustainable solution lies in addressing the crime of aggression
"In the most recent example, Tehran, backed by veto-wielding China, accused Washington of violating the UN Charter by striking Iranian nuclear sites, an act the United States justified by the right to 'collective self-defence'. And the international community has never really addressed the 'crime of aggression'," reportedly said Gissu Nia, a fellow with Atlantic Council think tank, "be it Russia's war against Ukraine or the US invasion of Iraq. And once impunity reigns on one set of violations, one that is never dealt with, it continues, and countries use it as justification for the actions that they take," Nia said. She added: "For self-defence you really have to show evidence of an imminent attack. I think that is one of the more contentious issues that involve the UN Charter and the narrative has really gotten away from us."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was denounced as a clear violation of the Charter by Guterres and the General Assembly, but not by the Security Council, where Russia has a veto. And even though the Charter allows for persistent violators to be expelled from the UN, that has never happened. In 1974, the UN did, however, suspend South Africa from the General Assembly over the crimes of apartheid, a ban that lasted two decades.
Keep in mind that the Narendra Modi-led government recently used water as a weapon of aggression. Following the Pahalgam incident in Indian Occupied Kashmir, blaming Pakistan without evidence, India suspended the Indus Water Treaty. It thus imposed war before war - Operation Sindoor. However, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague found that it was not open to India to suspend the IWT or hold it in abeyance unilaterally.
Today, we have 5 permanent members (P5) in the Security Council. If that number is increased, or doubled, things won't improve. Hegemonic habits are built into the very nature of statecraft. Because power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The power that produces this corruption needs to be curbed through the implementation of the UN Charter. Punishing the perpetrators of aggression and their facilitators should be the beginning of the end.
We need a UNSC that is responsive and listens to the cries of victims of aggression and those from the conflict zones, irrespective of region, race, or continent. Zero tolerance for human suffering, whether they are Black, White, Asian or European.
Pakistan has assumed the rotating presidency of UNSC at a time when growing discontent with the organisation is palpable. Although this crowning achievement is symbolic, it comes with significant challenges. Navigating the highly polarised geopolitical landscape with diplomatic diligence will require ensuring a voice for the voiceless and mitigating the mist of apathy shown to vulnerable populations worldwide. The West is sizzling under heatwaves, whereas various states in the Global North are in the eye of abnormal monsoon rains and consequent human and infrastructural casualties. Rising poverty is no longer a problem faced by the Third World countries. These common issues demand global attention and an international action plan.
Resetting priorities requires revisiting and subsequently dropping the desire for dominance through military might. Let the weaker nations live peacefully and independently. The member states have to play a crucial role in shaping global governance, promoting international cooperation, and addressing pressing global challenges like the peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereignty, and equality between states, humanitarian cooperation and respect for human rights.