This week, world leaders are gathered at the UN, in New York, where there have been many calls for reform amid growing frustration at the veto-power held by the five permanent members of the Security Council — the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and France.
University of Otago international relations specialist Prof Robert Patman hopes New Zealand’s Foreign Minister will use his speech to call for reform of the Security Council. And he has a novel suggestion for Peters about the shape that reform could take.
"I think it's high time we led the charge, or at least were prominent in efforts, to make sure that small states and middle powers count in international relations," Prof Patman told Global Insight.
"I think this is something close to Mr Peters' heart, and I'm hoping he'll really make the case strongly."
Prof Patman says the veto power, which, 80 years ago, was reluctantly given by nations including New Zealand to get the big powers inside the UN fold, has become an impediment to world peace.
"At the moment, the UN Security Council is an agent of destabilisation in the world and we need to reform it so it can become a reliable barrier to war."The big five are unlikely to give up the veto power, but there is another way forward, Prof Patman suggests.
"Instead of trying to strip the five veto-wielding powers of their veto, you say that when any resolution is passed by ... more than two-thirds of the 193 [General Assembly] members ... that becomes binding and overrules any veto by the UN Security Council."
Prof Patman says such a reform is needed because the UN has never been weaker but has never been more needed.
"And after all, the UN Security Council has the formal responsibility for maintaining peace and security, and it would be good if it could live up to that responsibility."
Speaking on Global Insight, Prof Patman also explained why UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged world leaders to "bring multilateralism back from the brink" and addressed the common ground Peters and former Prime Minister Helen Clark shared on global reform despite publicity about their disagreements.
