Adopting Presidential Statement, Security Council Calls for Unified Leadership to Maintain International Peace, Resolve Growing Lethal Conflicts
Speakers Decry Geopolitical Divisions That Turn Chamber into ‘a Political Battleground’, Call for Unity, End to Stalemates
Prior to holding a day-long open debate, the Security Council today unanimously adopted a presidential statement highlighting its responsibilities to take effective action to maintain international peace and security amid increasingly lethal conflicts and underscoring the urgent need for leadership for peace, underpinned by the central role of the United Nations.
By the presidential statement (to be issued as S/PRST/2024/5), the 15-nation organ underscored the pressing need to strengthen resolve to maintain international peace and security, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations. The Council also recognized the need for universal adherence to and implementation of international law obligations, including those arising from relevant Council resolutions. Reiterating its support for the protection of civilians in armed conflict, it called on all parties to armed conflict to comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law, and to respect and protect civilians, including humanitarian personnel.
“Peace is never automatic. Peace demands action, and peace demands leadership,” emphasized António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, warning that geopolitical divisions were deepening and impunity was spreading, with civilians paying the steepest price. “From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond — wars grind on, suffering grows, hunger deepens, lives are upended, and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, and this Council, are undermined,” he said.
Member States should live up to their commitments in line with the Charter and other agreements, he stressed, spotlighting the recently adopted Pact for the Future, which, among other things, called for strengthening tools and frameworks to prevent conflict. “And it contains a new push to reform key institutions of global governance, including the global financial architecture and this very Council,” he said, underlining the need for strong political will to rebuild the Council’s legitimacy and effectiveness.
“A united Council can make a tremendous difference for peace; a divided Council cannot,” he added, pointing out that geopolitical divisions were blocking effective solutions for conflicts around the world. Urging Council Members to forge peace by “sticking to principles”, he declared: “Peace in Ukraine is possible. By following the UN Charter and abiding by international law. Peace in Gaza is possible. By sparing no effort for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.” Thus, Council Members should contribute to the Council’s success — “not its diminishment”.
“The leadership for peace that the world desperately needs is sorely lacking”, said Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, member of The Elders and former President of Liberia. She called on leaders to uphold international law, taking note of “systematic violations of international law in conflict settings, and impunity for those who commit atrocities”, from Ukraine to Gaza, and beyond. “Powerful States — including some permanent members of this Council — are deliberately ignoring international norms,” she added.
Further, the Council was “paralyzed and not responding” to the war of aggression in Ukraine, a flagrant violation of the Charter, and Council members were undermining decisions of the International Court of Justice and threatening the International Criminal Court and its officials, she continued. Meanwhile, influential States were intervening in ways that inflamed aggression in conflict situations, including arms transfers to conflict parties, where there were clear violations of international law.
Conflict resolution must be “truly inclusive”, including senior women’s mandatory participation in peace-making and peacebuilding processes, she stated. “Finally, you, as leaders, must restore the credibility of the international peace and security architecture,” she emphasized. Calling for the “urgent and overdue” reform of the Council, so it was “fit for the world of 2025 and beyond, not a relic from 1945”, she said: “The world looks to you to act — do not let us down.”
Also briefing the Council, Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) emphasized that “international humanitarian law is not transactional”. Today, emboldened warring parties are disregarding their legal obligations and, at times, using overly permissive interpretations of international humanitarian law to justify violations and impede humanitarian action.
“Annihilation may bring military success, but not political or moral victory,” she said, observing that violations happen with full knowledge of the international community — “but with little corrective action.” She urged Council Members to ensure adherence to the “true meaning of international humanitarian law”, including by taking all feasible precautions to minimize civilian harm; accepting that neutral humanitarian actors can bring assistance to areas the enemy controls; and ensuring that hospitals are not hit, civilians can flee to safety and food supplies are not cut off.
Council Members must put their “rhetorical support for international humanitarian law into action”, she stated, adding: “When your ally targets civilians, pick up the phone and demand that they stop. When your ally bends the rules of war beyond recognition, use the means you have to stop them.” International humanitarian law saved lives and offered “a pathway to peace”. It enabled the release of thousands of detainees in Yemen and helped the ICRC escort orphans to safety in Khartoum. “It’s not the law that fails but the will to enforce it,” she said.
Robert Golob, Prime Minister of Slovenia and Council President for September, said that the signature event on “leadership for peace” was designed due to the Council’s “inability to respond decisively to major conflicts”, such as the ones in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. “Peace is under threat globally”, he said, adding: “And the world is in desperate need of leadership to reverse this dangerous direction.”
As over 55 speakers took the floor, some spotlighted certain conflicts, which remained at a violent impasse, while others took aim at the worsening discord within the 15-nation organ, impeding its very purpose.
On that, Manuel Gonçalves, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, voiced alarm that “increasing geopolitical competition has often turned this Chamber into a political battleground, ending in stalemate rather than serving as a unique place for diplomacy and resolution of conflicts.” Concurring, Jaime Barberis, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ecuador, warned that “we are witnessing the greatest number of armed conflicts since the Second World War”, while Akahori Takeshi, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan observed, “with a heavy heart”, that “divisions and confrontations are worsening”.
Meanwhile, Cho Tae-yul, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, spotlighting non-permanent members’ increasingly important role, said: “They facilitate dialogue and bridge the gap between the permanent members by bringing diverse views and perspectives to the table.” Musa Timothy Kabba, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone, was among several speakers calling for fairer representation. Permanent representation of Africa on the Council “is not just a matter of fairness but a question of justice”, he said.
Similarly, Mohamed Muizzu, President of Maldives, noting that small island developing States represent one-fifth of UN membership, said they “deserve a seat at the table” with a permanent rotating seat. Concurring with that, the United States’ representative also called for two permanent seats for Africa and permanent representation for Latin America and the Caribbean. For his part, Robert Abela, Prime Minister of Malta, highlighted the importance of regional organizations in maintaining peace and security, given their regional knowledge and ability to foster dialogue and cooperation.
Many speakers underscored the importance of parties to conflict to uphold international humanitarian law, including Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who called on Israel to grant humanitarian access to civilians and to provide a safe environment for the UN and other humanitarian organizations to operate. “The civilian suffering in Gaza is beyond belief,” he observed. Similarly, Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, stressing “compliance with international law is our lodestar everywhere,” called for an end to the war in Gaza while affirming Israel’s right to defend itself.
Meanwhile, Hugh Hilton Todd, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana, stressed that the Council must ensure consequences for violations of global norms including international law, which must be consistently applied. All citizens must be protected, without distinction based on “invalid criteria such as race, religion, nationality, or political interests,” he said.
Viola Amherd, President of Switzerland, emphasizing that her country would continue to call for the respect for international law, highlighted its advocacy for equitable procedures in UN sanctions regime, and its role as host country for discussions on Sudan. Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of Latvia, also spotlighting the devastating situation in Sudan, urged the parties to cease hostilities, and for humanitarian aid to be allowed to reach all parts of the country.
Wang Yi, Minister for Foreign Affairs China, was among speakers who addressed divisions within the Council, stating: “We must abandon cold war mentality and zero-sum game and oppose group politics and bloc confrontation.” Echoing his perspective, the representative of the Russian Federation cautioned that “probably not since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 has our planet been so close to a global conflict”, adding that the crux of that threat emanated from Western countries, a stance refuted by many speakers during the all-day debate.
Also sounding an alarm that the collective security regime is splintering, risking its disappearance was Ahmed Attaf, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Algeria. The Council’s inability to impose solutions is “a green light” for those wishing to erode international legitimacy, for example the genocidal war on Gaza. The Secretary-General should have absolute freedom regarding any diplomatic initiative furthering international peace and security, and such actions should not be conditional on Council agreement, which is often absent, he added.
Reflecting on the widespread dismay regarding the failure of multilateralism, Daniel Risch, Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, recalled the words of the UN’s second Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld, who said the United Nations was not created to bring us to heaven but in order to save us from hell. “But we in this room will have to explain to next generations, to our children, and grandchildren why we haven’t tried harder to bring our world closer to heaven,” he said.
The meeting was suspended at 6 p.m., to be resumed at a later date.