Deputy Minister Of Foreign Affairs Of The Republic Of Indonesia: History Will Judge Whether UN DK Can Rise To Face Challenges Or Become Inevitable

JAKARTA - The United Nations Security Council must be able to affirm its relevance, said Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Indonesia Arrmanatha Ch. Nasir on Monday, called for a halt in the midst of increasingly complex global situations.

He conveyed this during an open UN DK session discussing the issue of the Middle East and Palestine on Monday at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, United States.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Indonesia, who is familiarly called Pak Tata, was present at a meeting with the agenda of "Middle East, including the Palestinian Quest". It has been one of the main agendas of the UN DKK for more than 7 decades and is discussed periodically every three months.

On this occasion, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia invited DK PBB to emphasize its relevance.

In the midst of an increasingly complex global situation, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia called for, especially the permanent member state of the UN DK, to stop the deadlock and encourage the reform of UN DK.

"History will assess whether the UN DK is able to rise up to face challenges or it becomes irrelevant," said the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, January 21.

Earlier, the Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister at the meeting asked the UN DK to ensure that every phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip was carried out, stopping repeated violence, following a ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel.

"The UN DK must ensure that every phase of this agreement is fully implemented and stop the cycle of violence that continues to repeat itself," said Pak Tata.

On the same occasion, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia also emphasized, ending the humanitarian crisis and developing a political solution to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict into two main focuses, after the ceasefire was agreed upon.

The latest conflict between Hamas and Israel that broke out in October 2023 has again made the 15-member council, 5 fixed countries with veto rights and 10 non-permanent countries, in the spotlight after using veto in a resolution vote on the crisis in Gaza. Coupled with the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the Security Council received sharp attention.

Last February, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lamented the failure of the UN Security Council in responding to the Hamas-Israeli conflict and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying reforms were necessary on the agency, assessing the conflicts had weakened its authorities.

Speaking at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Secretary General Guterres said the UN Security Council was often deadlocked and "cannot act on the most important issues of peace and security today".

"The lack of unity of the Security Council in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and in Israel's military operations in Gaza following the horrific terror attack by Hamas on October 7, has been very, perhaps fatally, damaging to its authorities," Secretary General Guterres said.

"The board needs serious reforms to its composition and work methods," he continued.

In a post on social media X last August, Secretary General Guterres said the top global body was designed by World War II winners.

"The world has changed but the composition of the Council is not following developments," Secretary General Guterres tweeted, adding that it is unacceptable that Africa with more than one billion residents does not have permanent members.

"Vocations, African insights and participation must be voiced in the considerations and actions of the Council," continued Secretary General Guterres.

The Security Council is the United Nations' most important body and is responsible for resolving conflicts and maintaining peace.

This is the only UN agency whose decision is legally binding on UN member states, and can certify the use of force and impose sanctions.

This council consists of 15 of the 193 UN member states. Five of them are permanent members and have veto rights, namely the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France. Meanwhile, the other 10 members are non-permanent members, alternate among other UN members every two years.

Over the years, the agency was deemed incapable of acting due to a joint blockade by the US, China, and Russia on key issues. The fundamental reforms of the Security Council have been discussed for decades without any progress.