Turkiye says use of veto at UN 'has become an arbitrary and detrimental tool'

The use of the veto at the United Nations Security Council has become an “arbitrary and detrimental tool,” Turkiye’s deputy UN representative said Tuesday.

Speaking at a General Assembly meeting, Asli Guven, said the need for Security Council reform is “indisputable and undeferrable” and the reform process needs to address and eliminate the current shortcomings of the use of the veto.

“The use of the veto has become an arbitrary and detrimental tool, whereby the common good is sacrificed over individual interests,” said Guven. “The inaction over Gaza has been another case in point.”

“The pursuit of self-interests in this body not only undermines multilateralism but also weakens the credibility of the whole UN system,” she added.

She said the Security Council was unable to adopt a single resolution on Gaza for over a month, despite calls by the international community and millions of people who took to the streets around the world.

“And the two resolutions that were eventually adopted failed to call for what is fundamentally needed to stop the bloodshed in Gaza: an immediate ceasefire,” she added.

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