The following is from a regular column by editorial writer and political editor Rui Abiru in the April 8 Sankei Shimbun.
It is a must-read not only for the Japanese people but also for people worldwide.
The emphasis in the text other than the headline is mine.
Consider a "Second United Nations
Russia's aggression against Ukraine has once again revealed several things.
They are, For example, the pointlessness of adhering to Article 9 of the Constitution, the significant influence of the presence or absence of nuclear weapons on the policy decisions of individual countries, and the danger of relying on specific countries for energy resources.
Among these, the reality that the U.N. Security Council, which is supposed to have primary responsibility for international peace and security, does not function at all was an excellent opportunity to wake up from the deeply rooted belief in the U.N. in Japanese society.
Slaughter by Permanent Members of the Council
Ukrainian President Zelensky criticized Russia's massacre of civilians in an online speech to the Security Council on May 5, claiming (quoted from a Ukrainian state news agency article and other sources).
It is done by the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. "The world has transformed the U.N. Security Council's veto into a death-causing right, and ... has to deal with a country that has made evilly unpunishable."
As a permanent member of the Security Council with veto power, the Council cannot deal with the outrages of Russia.
A legally binding resolution will be rejected if the veto is exercised.
China, accused of "genocide" of Uyghurs, is also a permanent member of the Council.
Mr. Zelensky went on to say that if the U.N. system cannot be reformed and Russia cannot be eliminated, "the only way is for [the U.N.] to dismantle itself.
The contradictions in the U.N. have reached that point.
Meanwhile, in response to this speech, Hiroshi Matsuno, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference on August 6, "Once again, I am keenly aware of the need for reform of the Security Council. Japan will continue to take the leadership to realize the reform. However, there is no denying that the road ahead is fraught with difficulties.
The diplomat's opinion is
According to sources, at a joint meeting of the LDP's Foreign Affairs Subcommittee and others on May 5, former U.S. Ambassador to the United States Shinsuke Sugiyama spoke bluntly about U.N. reform, saying something to the effect of the following.
Even if we try to reform the U.N., countries with a vested right to veto it will never relinquish it. No matter how correct what we say, there is no way that Japan will be able to make it happen. In response, several Diet members present voiced their agreement and thanked him for his honest words.
It is indeed an exciting presentation of the candid views of a diplomat who knows the situation on the ground.
Even if we create an international community that excludes Russia and other countries, the excluded parties are unlikely to listen to their views.
In part, we are in the same framework of the United Nations that we can communicate and exchange opinions.
Nevertheless, under the new international organization, member countries will be able to impose sanctions with greater agility and alignment.
In an interview with the Sankei Shimbun in March, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also mentioned the difficulty of reforming the U.N.
"I have made considerable efforts, and Japan has come up with various ideas, but I could not overcome the hurdles of the permanent members with great vested interests and veto powers. It is not so easy."
Of course, we do not intend to immediately decide to leave the U.N., the world's third-largest contributor to the U.N. after the U.S. and China, or give up on reform because it is impossible.
However, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is good at considering all options without ruling them out, could consider a "second U.N.
