Madame President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of Finland, Norway and my own country Iceland.
First allow me to pay tribute to the originators of General Assembly resolution 76/262. This resolution is proving itself an effective tool for holding to account the permanent members of the Security Council in all circumstances where the veto is used.
The Security Council bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It carries out its duties on behalf of the entire membership. It is entirely right and proper that the permanent five explain their use of a veto and the consequent failure of the Council to act in the cause of peace and security. We also remain supportive of the General Assembly considering its own role in situations where the Council is unable to act.
The casting of the veto by China and the Russian Federation at the Council meeting of April 7th prevented the Council once again from taking concerted and decisive action to reestablish peace and security. The resolution aimed to address a key aspect of the conflict in the region, namely the protection of global commons in the shape of the Strait of Hormuz as a vital international shipping lane and the responsibility of all parties to refrain from further escalation and cease all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in compliance with international law. Freedom of navigation is a cornerstone of the Law of the Sea and must be upheld. The failure to resolve these issues risks massive damage to the global economy and severe impact on millions of ordinary people, particularly in countries already in a situation of food insecurity.
We thank Bahrain and other GCC countries for their attempt to bring all member states on board. The resolution went through a number of iterations and was in its final iteration limited to purely defensive measures and was designed to prevent escalation.
This failure of the Council to respond risks widening further the credibility gap when it comes to the Council’s role in peace and security.
The vetoes cast last week prevent the further development of Resolution 2817 in which the Council condemned any actions or threats aimed at closing, obstructing, or otherwise interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. This resolution was supported by a record number – 136 UN Member States, including our countries.
Madame President,
With conflicts escalating in the Middle East region and elsewhere, causing devastating humanitarian consequences for millions, the Security Council must turn a new page. The Security Council needs to be a forum in which tough positions are resolved not simply show cased. We support the UN’s leadership, through the Council and by the Secretary-General.
I thank you.