UNSC must be reformed for 'legitimacy, effectiveness': Guterres

United Nations, Sep 22 (IANS) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said the Security Council must be reformed to endow it with "legitimacy and effectiveness". "The Security Council was designed in the aftermath of World War II. But the world has fundamentally changed since then", he told the world leaders gathered at the General Assembly high-level session. That change "is far from reflected in the Security Council", he said. He said the UN members must "reform the Security Council so that it reflects today’s world with the legitimacy and effectiveness that today’s challenges demand". Amid applause from the audience, he cited Africa's exclusion from permanent membership in the Council and called it "stunning". "Today, Africa still has no permanent representation on the Council. A 21st century Security Council without permanent African seats is unjust and indefensible," he said. "This must change". This was Guterres' last speech to the high-level meeting of the General Assembly. General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman, who followed Guterres, said he will "support the General Assembly-led Intergovernmental Negotiations in its work to make the Council more representative, transparent and reflective of the geopolitical realities of our time". "Ensuring fair representation for underrepresented regions must remain a priority", he said. He also gave the example of Africa that is under-represented on the Council where the key focus is on peacekeeping that is concentrated on the continent. "Ending Africa’s underrepresentation, now, is a question of fairness, justice and, ultimately, the credibility of this Organisation", he said. --IANS al/as