UN Organization
Security Council reform at UNGA 81
Raised by 122 of 223 speakers. Read verbatim UN transcript quotes and select a time to hear the speech.
Speeches that raised security council reform
President of the General Assembly (opening) · Day 1Dr. Khalilur RahmanUnder the UN Charter, the Security Council bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
Yet, when the Council is unable to act, member states turn to the General Assembly.
We saw this as early as 1950 with the Uniting for Peace resolution, and we have seen it more recently through the Assembly's veto initiative.
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Secretary-General of the United Nations · Day 1António GuterresAnd technological power alone cannot guarantee security.
A networked multipolar world can create the conditions for more balanced and representative global problem solving.
But it requires a multilateral system centered in the UN that is balanced and representative, strong, effective institutions that reflect the realities and progressively changing relative weight of countries and economies in today's world, not the power arrangements of 80 years ago.
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Kyrgyzstan · Day 1Sadyr ZhaparovHowever, despite numerous efforts and years of discussion, the institutional structure of our organization continues to face various challenges.
Therefore, I believe that expanding the membership of the Security Council is one of the reforms that the international community expects.
I consider it fair to grant two permanent seats to the African continent with population of more than 1 billion people and one permanent seat to Latin America.
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Finland · Day 1Alexander StubbEvery Secretary-General is shaped both by their era and by their own actions.
And I was reminded of this when I recently read the biographies of two former Secretaries-General, U Thant and Kofi Annan, both highly influential leaders who navigated an era of great power tensions.
Let me put forward a few suggestions for the new Secretary-General's consideration, whoever she may be, and for the international community at large.
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Sierra Leone · Day 1Julius Maada BioThe credibility weakens when institutions entrusted with the law preserve an unequal distribution of power.
The Security Council still reflects the world of 1945.
Africa, home to more than 1.6 billion people and the subject of most of the Council's work, still has no permanent seat.
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Japan · Day 1Takaichi SanaeA permanent member of the Security Council, which is with a special responsibility for international peace and security, has initiated an act of aggression against another country and has vetoed Security Council resolutions concerning its own actions.
In this current situation, it must be said that the Security Council is not functioning for international peace.
Since the end of Second World War, Japan, as a peace-loving nation, has attached great importance to the rule of law in the settlement of any disputes.
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Croatia · Day 1Andrej PlenkovićOur responsibility is to govern them so that change expands human freedom and security instead of weakening them.
The United Nations must begin with its own transformation.
Croatia supports a UN that is more effective, accountable and financially sustainable, and stronger across all three pillars: peace and security, sustainable development and, of course, human rights.
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Brazil · Day 1Luiz Inácio Lula Da SilvaIts credibility has never been lower.
Its ability to protect the most vulnerable, those who have no army or arsenals, has never been so weak.
We are all held hostage by the inaction of the Security Council for failing to fulfill its role.
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Chile · Day 1José Antonio KastFor decades and for several reasons, the United Nations has not been part of the solution to the problems I've outlined.
We cannot simply continue to play by the same rules of an order that was established in 1945.
In 2026, what we've seen is the development of a UN architecture that holds too many discussions and is too quick to act, a Security Council that reflects the political arena of 1945 and not the reality of 2026.
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France · Day 1Emmanuel MacronThis is why at the Security Council, France supports reforms aimed at bolstering its effectiveness.
We must open up to new members, new regions, first and foremost Africa, but In terms of the substance, the Security Council must be able to take action in the face of mass violations of international law.
Who can accept a procedural deadlock when we see barbaric acts being committed?
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Angola · Day 1João Manuel Gonçalves LourençoAs the embargo is chiefly responsible for the calamitous situation in which Cuba and the Cuban people find themselves, And since it is inhumane, unfair and violates all the principles and norms of international law, we once again call for the end to the embargo against Cuba.
Ladies and gentlemen, today we are witnessing the direct involvement of certain permanent members of the United Nations Security Council in in the bloodiest and most destructive conflicts in our time in Europe and in the Persian Gulf, which constitutes a cause of concern and a bad example for the rest of the world.
Those countries rendered a great service when they freed humanity from the horrors of Nazism, fascism and the Holocaust, and should therefore preserve that capital and legacy as liberators.
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Seychelles · Day 1Mathew Antonio Patrick HerminieThe Security Council's inability to act decisively in moments of global crisis undermines its very purpose.
Its composition reflects a bygone era, not 21st century geopolitical realities.
Reform is no longer a matter of political convenience.
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Naoero · Day 1David Ranibok AdeangInvest with us, not simply in us.
Mr. President, I've raised today concerns to this organization and what it has promised.
So does this.
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Türkiye · Day 1Recep Tayyip ErdoğanNow, only in this way can trust in the UN possibly be restored.
We must acknowledge that a system in which the will of more than 190 countries is subject to the whim of just five countries is not a fair system, and it is not capable of fully inspiring or establishing trust either.
The Security Council must absolutely be reformed in accordance with the principle that the world is bigger than five.
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Luxembourg · Day 1Guillaume of LuxembourgMadam President, restoring trust also means making our institutions worthy of that trust.
The Security Council must become more representative, more effective, and more accountable to the entire membership of the United Nations, Africa in particular.
and it was said many times today, should have a stronger voice.
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Mongolia · Day 1Khurelsukh UkhnaaBelieving that reform of the Security Council should be at the core of broader United Nations reform, Mongolia maintains its principled position in support of expanding the number of both permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council, ensuring equitable representation of developing countries in the Council, and promoting greater openness and transparency in its work.
Mongolia is one of the 58 countries that have never served as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Therefore, Mongolia aspires to actively participate in the work of the Security Council and contribute to finding collective solutions to the problems and challenges facing the international community.
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Republic of Korea · Day 1Lee Jae MyungWe must reduce duplication across organizations and programs, accelerate decision-making, and direct limited resources where they are needed most.
In this spirit, the Republic of Korea supports the UN80 initiative, which will improve efficiency, prioritize field operations, and deliver greater results.
We also support the reform of the UN Security Council so that it operates in a more effective, democratic, and accountable manner.
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Suriname · Day 1Jennifer Geerlings-SimonsIt should not reduce support where it is most needed.
Equally important is the overdue reform of the Security Council.
Hence, Suriname reiterates its call for making it more representative, more accountable, and more capable of acting.
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Viet Nam · Day 1To LamFor the UN to adapt to the transformations of the time, Vietnam supports efforts to reform the organization, particularly the GA, the Security Council, and the Secretariat, with a view to enhancing effectiveness, prioritizing structural reform, and streamlining the apparatus, while fully harnessing the UN's advantage in advancing global agendas and safeguarding the interests of developing countries.
These perspectives are drawn from the experience of Vietnam itself.
Over the past half century, since its accession to the UN mirrors the transformation of our own country.
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United Republic of Tanzania · Day 1Deogratius NdejembiExcellencies, Building on this record and sustained commitment to multilateralism, I am pleased to inform you that recently, the African Union formally took note of Tanzania's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the term 2029-2030 during elections to be held by this Assembly in June 2028.
I therefore seize this opportunity to formally announce our candidature.
During our tenure in the Council, we will put forward and prioritize deliberations on matters vital to the maintenance of international peace and security such as preventive diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes, women in peacekeeping, youth in peace and security, and the reform of the United Nations peacekeeping.
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Trinidad and Tobago · Day 1Kamla Persad-BissessarIn this regard, we extend our deepest appreciation to the 181 Member States that entrusted Trinidad and Tobago with the responsibility of serving on the Security Council for 2027-2028.
Can we say thank you to all 181 States?
We regard that overwhelming expression of confidence not simply as an achievement, but we see it as a very solemn responsibility on the part of Trinidad and Tobago.
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