Geopolitical divides fueling UN Security Council inaction, Guterres warns

Guterres calls for urgent Security Council reform, says geopolitical divides hindering action on global crises.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a “reform” of the Security Council, blaming the conduct of major powers for the body’s “paralysis”.Responding at a news conference on Wednesday to a question about why calls to respect international law have gone unheeded, Guterres pointed to geopolitical divisions among major powers.“We have geopolitical divides, and in these geopolitical divides, we have powers that themselves violate international law and sit in the Security Council … and that has been paralysing the Security Council,” he said.“That is why the reform of the Security Council must be an absolute priority,” Guterres said, adding that there must be a redistribution of power as “power relations no longer correspond to the realities of the world”.Israeli violence in occupied Palestinian territoryOne of these realities for the UN chief is the impunity with which Israel has continued its genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank.“Peace cannot be achieved in the Middle East without resolving the Palestinian-Israeli crisis,” Guterres said while calling for an immediate end to Israeli ethnic cleansing of occupied Palestinian territory.“We are witnessing gradual annexation in the West Bank and violations committed by settlers with the support of Israeli security forces.”Peace in the Middle East “will not be achieved without a two-state solution”, he added.War in Ukraine devastating global economyThe UN chief also spoke on the situation in Ukraine and the prospects of a ceasefire, saying he would be “delighted” to facilitate trilateral Ukraine peace talks at the UN General Assembly if key parties agree.