NEW YORK/OSLO (VG) On Friday, Russia spent time on the Security Council on what the United States called “conspiracy theories.” British Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Woodward believes Russia’s claims are not included in the council.
“This is defrauding the mandate of the Security Council,” British Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Woodward told VG.
– There is no proof. We discussed Ukraine yesterday and then we talked about the war and its humanitarian, regional and international ripple effects. There are other topics on the Security Council agenda that we need to pay attention to.
He then listed the situation in Syria, Yemen, Myanmar and Afghanistan.
– We don’t have to spend our time on disinformation, he said.
BACKGROUND: US Ambassador to the UN vehemently opposes Russian “conspiracy theories”
“Propaganda”
On Friday, the 15-member Security Council met at UN headquarters in Manhattan, New York. Norway is a board member until December 2022.
Over the past three weeks, there have been several Security Council meetings to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine.
During Friday’s meeting – which was called by Russia itself – Russia once again claimed that Ukraine had been trying to acquire biological weapons in cooperation with the United States.
The allegations have previously been dismissed as lies and misinformation by several Security Council member states. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg also called the accusations “absurd allegations”.
The United Nations notified last week that it was not familiar with the biological weapons program.
– We see little reason to put emphasis on the so-called evidence they presented during the meeting itself. This is part of the war propaganda now led by Russia, Norway’s ambassador to the UN Mona Juul told VG.
After the meeting, Vassily Nebenzia came out to the press area to give a brief comment:
– Our partners completely deny. They don’t listen to what we tell them. They will not accept that we are presenting facts and not just propaganda.
Juul, like Woodward, agrees that Russia is wasting time on the board.
“The fact that Russia, which has started this war, is trying to set the agenda is an abuse of the Security Council and almost violates the intentions of the UN Charter,” Juul said.
He points out that the UN was created to find solutions to conflicts between different parties, but one side is now trying to change the narrative.
Massive influx of refugees
More than 700 civilians, 52 of them children, have died in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since the start of the war, according to UN figures. The number may be “much higher”.
In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) has verified 43 attacks on hospitals and other health institutions in Ukraine. An estimated three million have fled the country.
Neighboring countries have taken the brunt of the influx of refugees. Poland, who alone has received 1.9 millionhave asked other Europeans for help.
According to UN estimates, 90 percent of Ukraine’s population is at risk of poverty due to the Russian invasion.
Russia currently sits as one of the five permanent member states of the Security Council. This means that Russia – in all matters discussed at the Council – can veto. As board members, they can also present resolutions and hold meetings.
– Is it time to look at the veto and the organization of the Security Council?
– Yes of course. Norway is a driving force for the ongoing Security Council reform process. Both veto power and permanent membership are in Norway’s interest to change to better reflect today’s world, Juul told VG.
Work on reforming the UN’s highest body, the Security Council, has so far been unsuccessful. Even though the General Assembly had already established a working group in 1993 to assess the reform of the Security Council, no agreement has yet been reached. wrote the UN on its page.
