The Paradigms of the United Nations: Russia takes the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council
UN H.Q. NEW YORK CITY
Russia takes over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council, which has caused outrage in Kiev. A senior Ukrainian official has criticized the “symbolic blow” Russia is giving Ukraine by taking over the Council presidency. “It’s not just a shame. It’s another symbolic blow to the rules-based system of international relations,” Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, tweeted. The Kremlin has said it intends to “exercise all its rights” as long as it holds the role. “Since April 1, they are taking the level of absurdity to a new level,” said Sergii Kyslytsya, Kiev’s permanent representative to the UN. Despite Ukraine’s complaints, the United States has said it cannot block Russia, a permanent member of the Council, from taking over the presidency. The other permanent members of the council are the UK, USA, France, and China. The role is largely formal, but Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, told the Russian news agency Tass that he plans to oversee several debates, including one on arms control.
He said he would discuss a “new world order” which, he said, was to “replace the unipolar one”. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the Russian presidency “the worst April Fool’s joke ever” and a “harsh reminder that something is wrong with the way the international security architecture works.” Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Mykhaylo Podolyak, said the move was “another violation of international law…an entity waging an aggressive war violates the norms of humanitarian and criminal law, does not respect the UN Charter, neglects nuclear safety, and cannot lead the main security body of the world”. President Volodymyr Zelensky last year called for the organization (the Security Council) to reform or “be dissolved”, accusing it of not doing enough to prevent a Russian invasion. He also called for Russia to be removed from its membership. But the US said its hands were tied because the UN Charter does not allow the removal of a permanent member. “Unfortunately, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council, and there is no feasible international way to change that reality,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a press briefing this week. The UN Security Council is an international body responsible for maintaining peace. Five nations are permanently represented on the Security Council. Members of this group work alongside 10 non-permanent member countries. For a Security Council bill to pass, there must be nine votes in favor, with none of the five permanent members voting against. Last February, Russia vetoed a resolution intended to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (China, India, and the United Arab Emirates abstained).
By Sara Colin
