UN proves to be ineffective in resolving strifes Including Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described the Security Council as an "outdated," "unfair," and "ineffective" system, its failure to end the conflict between Israel and Gaza has undermined the credibility of the organisation as a whole.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic TV channel, Guterres criticised the failures of the Security Council, which was established after World War II to maintain international peace and security. He highlighted that the veto power of the permanent members has often posed a significant obstacle to achieving this goal.

Guterres noted that the UN Security Council is not suited to the current world. He stated that the reality is that the Security Council systematically fails to address the most dramatic conflicts we face today, such as those in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine. 

Guterres, who has been the UN Secretary-General since 2017 and previously served as Prime Minister of Portugal, emphasised that other agencies of the organisation, particularly its humanitarian agencies, have continued rendering essential services to Palestinians throughout more than 11 months of Israeli attacks on Gaza. However, he emphasised that the Security Council's political inability to resolve the conflict has negatively impacted other UN agencies.

"The UN is more than just the Security Council,” Guterres said, acknowledging that UN staff on the ground, particularly those from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza, are often perceived as symbols of the Security Council's failure. 

He noted that people are expressing the sentiment, "The Security Council has let us down."

The UN Secretary-General has repeatedly expressed such views. Previously, he has urged Israeli authorities to adhere to international humanitarian law during the conflict in Gaza.

"While I acknowledge Israel's legitimate security concerns, I also remind Israel that military operations must be conducted in strict compliance with international humanitarian law," he stated. 

While speaking at a press conference in Hiroshima during the G7 summit, Guterres emphasised that it is time to reform the UN Security Council and Bretton Woods Institutions to align them with "the realities of today's world."

"The global financial architecture is outdated, dysfunctional, and unjust," he stressed. 

The UN Secretary-General noted that in the face of economic upheavals caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, the global financial system "has failed to fulfill its primary role as a global safety net." As evident, the UN Secretary-General frequently highlights the limitations and ineffectiveness of the organisation he leads. To say that these acknowledgments are overdue is an understatement.

The evidence that the world has changed dramatically since the end of World War II is overwhelming, and unfortunately, not for the better. Much of this change can be attributed to the shortcomings of the UN leadership. We vividly remember the numerous calls directed at Baku, highlighting the organisation's ongoing challenges. 

We were asked to show delicacy and, at times, even near reverence towards those who had been living illegally in Azerbaijani territory for decades, while being citizens of Armenia—a country that occupied 20 per cent of the Azerbaijani lands. Moreover, Azerbaijan is still being accused of "ethnic cleansing."

This is despite the fact that the UN Security Council and its resolutions have done little to advance justice in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Yerevan has cynically ignored international law, as well as UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, no sanctions have been imposed on Armenia. 

This issue has been regularly highlighted by Baku. In particular, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly emphasised the deeply abnormal and unjust situation where some UN Security Council resolutions were implemented within days, while Armenia has ignored four Security Council resolutions for nearly 30 years, which call for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of its armed forces from Azerbaijani territories.  

Indeed, Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity and historical justice through military and political means and achieved the implementation of Security Council resolutions. However, as President Aliyev stated in his inauguration speech, the 44-day second Karabakh war might have been avoided if Armenia, its leadership, and its supporting forces had adhered to international law and the four UN Security Council resolutions. 

The UN was certainly expected to evolve into an organisation that not only passes resolutions but also ensures their implementation by imposing sanctions on countries that fail to comply. Unfortunately, we have not seen punitive measures against Armenia for its violations.