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Borrell: UN’s system paralyzed by vetoes
“Look at what is happening at the [United Nations] Security Council; there are no agreements, there are only vetoes. And by the way, I can say that the EU member states have not used the veto right in these last times. But the United Nations’ system is paralyzed by vetoes, and these vetoes maintain conflicts. And these conflicts can kill people and spread insecurity and put ethical questions to all of us,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a speech at the Schumann Security and Defense Forum 2024 in Brussels.
He said that humanity had returned to a classical high-intensity war with tanks, trenches, planes, explosions, and not only in Ukraine and Gaza.
“There are many wars in Africa, a lot of – not wars – but instability in Latin America. We see not a war but war games in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
The United States, Israel’s key political and military backer, has repeatedly vetoed the UN Security Council multiple resolutions on ending the nearly eight-month Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children.
Since the beginning of the Israel’s onslaught on Gaza in October, the US has used its veto five times, four of which to block a cease-fire in Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also hit out at the United Nations on Wednesday.
“The UN cannot even protect its own staff. What are you waiting for to act? The spirit of the United Nations is dead in Gaza,” Erdogan told lawmakers from his AKP party.
Erdogan’s comments came as the UN Security Council met to discuss a deadly Israeli attack on a displacement camp west of Rafah on Tuesday that killed 21 people, according to a civil defense official in Gaza.
The Turkish leader also hit out at fellow Muslim-majority countries for failing to take common action over the Israeli strike.
“I have some words to say to the Islamic world: what are you waiting for to take a common decision?” Erdogan, who leads a Muslim-majority country of 85 million people, told lawmakers from his AKP party.
“Israel is not just a threat to Gaza but to all of humanity,” he said.
“No state is safe as long as Israel does not follow international law and does not feel bound by international law,” Erdogan added, repeating an accusation that Israel is committing “genocide”
in Gaza.