Mohamad Hasan Demands Abolition of UNSC Veto Power, Urges Urgent Shift to Crisis Prevention in Gaza

NEW YORK, Sept 27 — Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has called for the complete abolition of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) veto power, urging the international body to move away from merely reacting to humanitarian disasters and prioritize prevention, with the task most urgent in Gaza.

Delivering Malaysia’s national statement at the General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Saturday, Mohamad stressed that expanding the Security Council’s membership alone would not address its fundamental shortcomings. He urged member states to confront the exercise of the veto, particularly in cases involving grave atrocities.

“Expanding the Council’s membership alone will not be enough to resolve its failures. It is the veto that must be challenged, and it is the veto that must be abolished. We must begin the work now,” Mohamad declared.

Linking the veto’s abuse directly to the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, Mohamad criticized the UN’s reactive posture, stating that multilateralism cannot be limited to “counting the dead, delivering supplies and rebuilding what had been destroyed” only to wait for the next catastrophe. He emphasized that while Malaysia and other member states have exhausted every effort to pursue justice—demanding immediate ceasefires, unrestricted aid delivery, punitive action against Israel, and full UN membership for Palestine—their collective will has been repeatedly thwarted.

“However, the collective will of the General Assembly had repeatedly encountered the silencing effect of the veto. Malaysia will speak plainly: We are sick of it,” he stated, warning that paralysis within the Security Council must not result in the paralysis of the entire United Nations.

Mohamad highlighted Resolution 76/262 as a vital mechanism to hold veto-holding permanent members accountable to the General Assembly. He added that the growing global trust deficit in the UN can only be restored through concrete action, consistent enforcement of international law, and ensuring every nation’s voice is heard.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 injured since October 2023. The Foreign Minister is leading Malaysia’s delegation in New York from Sept 23 to 27 for the 81st UNGA session.

–NMT