Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, on the use of the veto - April 23rd, 2024

I thank you for convening this meeting, which marks two years since the adoption of resolution A/76/262, known as the “Veto Initiative”. It provides an opportunity to take stock on its implementation.

Pursuant to resolution A/76/262, the General Assembly has held several debates on the veto in the Security Council. Such debates have proved to be timely and useful. Unfortunately, they have not been able to prevent the abuse of the veto power.

The Veto Initiative is a step forward in further empowering the General Assembly to develop and voice its perspectives on issues related to international peace and security. These perspectives should be duly taken into consideration in the Council’s decision-making process, in accordance with the Charter.

While the Veto Initiative is a welcome development in exposing the Security Council’s ineffectiveness and dysfunctionality, it does not tackle one of the main root causes of this problem, which is the Council’s anachronistic composition. Indeed, a symptom rather than a cause, the repeated use of the veto is a clear expression of the great divide that renders the Council incapable of compromise and of acting in major conflicts.

We will continue to witness the erosion of the legitimacy and the effectiveness of the Security Council as long as developing countries remain sidelined and whole regions, such as Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa, are not represented among the permanent members. That is why veto reform alone will not solve the paralysis and correct the ineffectiveness of the Council: expansion of both categories of membership is also vital. This is key to a true and consequential reform.

And we must go further. Security Council reform should be seen as part of a larger, holistic approach to reform, with a comprehensive and integrated view of the changes needed throughout the UN system. Each of the UN’s main organs and subsidiary bodies must be examined and adjusted to ensure that they are equipped for their intended purposes. In our discussions leading up to this year’s Summit of the Future, we are assessing and identifying the specific areas that require transformation to better address the evolving challenges in a fast-changing and volatile geopolitical environment.

Even a comprehensive reform of the UN is not enough, nor can it be seen in isolation. The whole architecture of global governance must be made fit for purpose again. We need ambition and political courage.

Brazil, including in its current capacity as the G20 Presidency, is firmly committed to such a reform – a comprehensive, transformative and equitable reform that strengthens the multilateral system to meet the needs of our time. We kindly but firmly encourage all the UN membership to commit to that urgent task.

Thank you.