EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas Declares UN Security Council ‘Broken’ and Unrepresentative at Munich Conference
MUNICH – European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas delivered a stark rebuke of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, asserting that the body “is not working the way it was meant to be” and fails to uphold the international accountability it was designed to enforce. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Kallas argued that the Council’s current structure ignores the geopolitical realities of the modern world, leaving global governance paralyzed in the face of escalating conflicts.
Deepening the Critique: The Accountability Deficit
In a detailed assessment of the global order, Kallas went beyond standard calls for reform, pinpointing a systemic “accountability deficit” as the primary failure of the current multilateral system. “Everybody signs up to the United Nations Charter, the principles are there. But what happens if somebody breaches those principles? The accountability is clearly not working,” Kallas stated.
She emphasized that the architecture of the UNSC, established in the aftermath of World War II, has become an obstacle to the very peace it was meant to preserve. By allowing powerful nations to operate above the law, the body has rendered itself ineffective. Kallas illustrated her point with a vivid analogy, countering the realist view that international relations must be a lawless struggle for power. “Even in the jungle, animals cooperate,” she remarked, arguing that cooperation—not dominance—is the superior survival strategy, yet one that the UNSC’s veto-wielding members frequently abandon.
Kallas specifically addressed the “Board of Peace,” a controversial new body chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump, intended to oversee the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. She criticized the initiative for deviating from the original UN resolution, noting that the Board’s charter does not reflect the “equality of states” and fails to include the Palestinian participation originally envisaged. “If you read the Charter, then all the States are not equal in this Board of Peace,” she warned, highlighting how ad-hoc alternatives to the UN risk creating a two-tiered global system.
Obstacles to Reform and Geopolitical Realities
While Kallas’s critique resonated with many European delegations, her call for a system where “no country is above the law” faces entrenched opposition. The primary objection remains the structure of the UNSC itself, where the five permanent members (the U.S., China, Russia, France, and the U.K.) hold veto power. Critics argue that these powers view the veto not as a privilege to be reformed, but as a non-negotiable tool of national security.
Furthermore, the emergence of alternative frameworks like the U.S.-led “Board of Peace” suggests that major powers may be moving away from reforming the UN and toward bypassing it entirely. Proponents of such alternatives argue that the UNSC’s paralysis—demonstrated by years of deadlock over Syria, Ukraine, and Gaza—necessitates new, more agile coalitions of the willing, even if they lack the universal legitimacy of the United Nations. Kallas acknowledged this shift but warned that replacing universal law with select group interests would ultimately weaken global stability.
Background: A Mandate Defined by Crisis
Kaja Kallas, formerly the Prime Minister of Estonia, took office as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy with a reputation as a “pragmatic idealist” and a fierce critic of Russian aggression. Her tenure has been defined by the dual crises of the prolonged war in Ukraine and the volatile conflict in the Middle East.
The UN Security Council has faced intensifying criticism for its inability to act decisively in both theaters. The Council’s composition reflects the power dynamics of 1945, excluding major contemporary powers such as India, Brazil, and Japan from permanent membership, and leaving the Global South underrepresented. Kallas’s remarks in Munich add the European Union’s significant diplomatic weight to the growing chorus demanding that the institution either adapt to the 21st century or risk irrelevance.
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