Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the third meeting of the United Nations Security Council Summit in New York, today, and called for an expansion in the number of members of the organ, including seats for developing countries from all of the world’s regions.
Lula affirmed that it is unacceptable for the Security Council to continue to function with a “deficit of transparency and representativeness.”
The current makeup of the Council is the same as it was when the organ was created at the end of the Second World War. Only the five permanent members (China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia) have voting and veto powers. The other countries are not permitted to veto resolutions presented before the Council.
“We need to adapt the Security Council to the requirements of a world undergoing profound change,” Lula said. “Good governance and the democratic principles we esteem should serve as inspiration for methods of collective decision,” he observed.
The President also called for “dialogue,” “the promotion of development,” and the “intransigent defense of human rights,” to prevent terrorism from fixing roots.
In his address, president Lula went on to say that hunger and poverty must be opposed to ensure a world without violence. “I am convinced that there will not be a world with peace and security as long as a billion people are oppressed by hunger,” he affirmed.
“I want to insist that this evil is the most devastating weapon of mass destruction. Hunger and poverty affect working capacity, health conditions, dignity, and hopes, and split families, upset societies, and enfeeble the economy,” he remarked.
Agência Brasil
