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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 21:55

Latvian president urges changes in UN and reform of Security Council

Alla Petrova, BC, Riga, 27.09.2012.Print version
In order to keep pace with the modern world, the United Nations must change: the time has come to start "real negotiations" on the reform of the Security Council, President Andris Berzins said addressing the 67th session of the UN General Assembly.

Latvia is supportive of the enlargement of the Council's membership in both permanent and non-permanent categories. Any such enlargement of the Council has to include at least one new non-permanent seat for the Eastern European Group, emphasized the president.

 

Latvia fully supports the work of a strong and effective United Nations Human Rights Council and has, in that regard, put forward its candidacy for the elections to the Council in 2014, added Berzins.

 

Berzins said the theme of the debate was very timely. The United Nations plays a leading role in the peaceful settlement of disputes and has the legal and institutional framework for it. However, such settlement primarily depends on the determination of national and international leaders. The United Nations can come to a decision and act only through that determination and there are currently two concrete challenges that need that strong will, explained the president, reports LETA.

 

The conflict in Syria threatens security and stability in the whole region and beyond and the Security Council must find the political will to unite and solve that crisis, pointed out Berzins.

 

Also, the risk of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is another of the most serious global threats, and the international community must unite in its commitment to prevent it. Latvia is also concerned about the potential use of stockpiles of Syria's chemical weapons, emphasized the president.

 

The president also touched upon the situation in Georgia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Afghanistan, the Middle East, global economic instability and the situation in the eurozone.






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