Lula criticizes the UN security service Mike Segar/Portal September 19, 2023
Experts in politics and international law estimate that the presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council under the command of Brazil this October, although symbolic, is not very effective in terms of measures for peace and security around the world. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) is critical of the institution and defends the expansion of the number of member countries.
The group’s Brazilian presidency, which began last Sunday (1), lasts until the end of this month. Established in 1948 to maintain international peace and security, the body has five permanent members: China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Russia. There is also a group of ten nonpermanent members with a twoyear term. Currently, the ten countries filling these vacancies are Brazil, Albania, Ecuador, the United Arab Emirates, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland.
• Share this news on WhatsApp
• Share this news on Telegram
Maristela Basso, professor of international law at the University of São Paulo (USP), explains that the presidency of the Security Council generates much more symbolic power than strategic power. “Power represents very little in practice since the function of the Security Council is to act on issues relating to threats to international peace and security. If a threat exists or is underway, the Security Council that convenes will decide what to do, whether to intervene or not, whether to use force or not, in any case. Otherwise the group doesn’t work, it doesn’t stay working longterm,” he states.
“Being at the head of the Security Council means opening up the discourse, calling on interlocutors and trying to convince colleagues of the same agenda. It means announcing its foreign policy to the world and giving visibility to the world within the framework of a multilateral organization and convening other countries and UN observers to stick to the issues and join Brazil in these concerns,” Basso added.
The lawyer Bernardo Pablo Sukiennik, who specializes in international law, takes a similar view to the USP professor. “It is worth noting that the presidency of the Security Council is an administrative function. The country holding this position does not receive greater powers through the presidency, but it is worth emphasizing that diplomacy consists of symbols. So without a doubt, the fact that Brazil is carrying out this role represents an important symbology. But that will not allow Brazil to impose an agenda at the global level,” he said.
“A fundamental thing is that, although the presidency is important, Brazil is not a permanent member. This means that since permanent members have veto power, much of what is discussed, or in other words, all of it, requires approval from countries with a permanent position. There is therefore a limitation,” adds political scientist and researcher Kleber Carrilho from the University of Helsinki in Finland.
Brazilian agenda
The importance of international institutions to prevent, resolve and mediate conflicts is the main theme that the country will defend during the presidency. “This month we will put forward the idea that the Security Council should look more broadly at the tools available to the United Nations, countries and regional organizations to prevent conflicts rather than resolve them after they occur. A strengthening of bilateral diplomacy, regional and regional multilateral to prevent the outbreak of conflicts,” said Secretary for Multilateral and Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Carlos Márcio Cozendey.
According to the secretary, other issues will be considered in the Security Council later this month: a possible mission to support Haitian security forces, maintaining the UN mission overseeing peace negotiations in Colombia, and issues related to the war between Ukraine and Russia . Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira will chair a hearing on institutions on October 20. Two further sessions are planned for the 24th (on the Middle East) and 25th (on women, peace and security).
Troops from a Brazilianled UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti years ago were the target of reports of violence, sexual abuse and excessive use of force in international press publications. Army data shows that 36,058 Brazilian soldiers have taken part in operations in the Caribbean country since 2004.
According to the Army, the soldiers worked to maintain peace, strengthen Haiti’s national institutions and secure the area of operations, leading at least 21 contingents of various nationalities. On August 31, 2017, the mission officially said goodbye to Haiti.
From former ministers to hackers and PF targets, remember the CPMI statements on January 8
June 20, 2023— The first witness was the former director general of the Federal Highway Police Silvinei Vasques. He denied that he had directed the company’s activities towards the Northeast region on the day of the second round of elections. In August, Vasques was arrested by the PF on suspicion of using the public sector to interfere in the electoral process
June 22, 2023 The head of the Civil Police of the Federal District, Leonardo de Castro, explained the chronology of the attempted explosion of a fuel truck near the airport of the federal capital
June 22, 2023
— One of those convicted of planning the truck explosion was heard by parliamentarians. George Washington de Oliveira Sousa was sentenced to more than nine years in prison and remained silent during his testimony
June 26, 2023 The former head of the Operations Department (DOP) of the Military Police of the Federal District Jorge Naime was heard in the CPMI. During his speech, he explained that on the day of the events he even called the then federal intervener for the Federal District, Ricardo Cappelli. Naime said she received no response. Naime has been in prison since February 7th
June 27, 2023 — The fifth statement came from Army Colonel Jean Lawand Junior. In his statement, Lawand defended himself by saying he had been misinterpreted by the investigation and that he regretted exchanging messages with Mauro Cid, Jair Bolsonaro’s former aide.
June 11, 2023 Former Bolsonaro aide Mauro Cid remained silent during his testimony before the CPMI. In his opening statement, the speaker gave a brief explanation of his military career and his role as an adjutant. Mauro Cid had been in prison since May 3rd and was released on September 9th following a plea deal
August 1, 2023 Former deputy director of the Brazilian Intelligence Service (Abin), Saulo Moura da Cunha, told parliamentarians that 33 intelligence alerts were issued between January 2 and 8, 2023. In addition, he said that the then Prime Minister of the Institutional Security Bureau (GSI), General Marco Edson Gonçalves Dias, was informed of the danger of an attack on the headquarters of the Three Powers
8/8/2023 Former Minister of Public Security of the Federal District and former Minister of Justice Anderson Torres stated that the coup draft found in his apartment was a “fanciful” text, “useless for any purpose” and a “true miscarriage of justice”. He was detained for 117 days and then released — with the use of an ankle bracelet — in May
August 17, 2023 In his testimony before the CPMI, hacker Walter Delgatti Neto stated that former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) had promised him a pardon for picking up on an alleged wiretapping attempt by foreign agents against Minister Alexandre de Moraes of the Federal Supreme Court (STF). . Delgatti has been in prison since the beginning of August after he became the target of a federal police operation
August 21, 2023 Army Sergeant Luis Marcos dos Reis was interviewed. In his speech, Bolsonaro’s former aide said he regretted his involvement in the extremist acts of January 8. At the Joint Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry investigating the invasions in Brasília, the soldier said he did not enter and destroy the Three Powers’ public buildings, but merely went up the congress ramp to take a photo
August 28, 2023 Colonel Fábio Augusto Vieira, commander of the Federal District Military Police (PMDF) on January 8, remained silent during his testimony before the CPMI. The soldier has been in prison since August 18 after a PF operation arrested the PMDF’s top leadership
August 31, 2023 Former GSI and Army General Gonçalves Dias better known as G Dias stated in his statement that he “would have been harder on the repression than I was.” A dialogue received from R7 confirmed that the military has requested that his name be removed from the list of people who had access to intelligence reports on extremist acts
September 12, 2023
Corporal Marcela Pinno of the Federal District Military Police said it was “striking” that the demonstrators who invaded the National Congress were “organized.” In addition, extremists attempted to steal her firearm while attacking her during the raids. The police officer was thrown from one of the building’s domes and fell from a height of about three meters
September 14, 2023 General Gustavo Dutra, former head of the Planalto military command, denied that the army prevented the dismantling of the camps set up in the headquarters. In addition, he stated that he had not received any information about the profile of the camped protesters
September 21, 2023
Blogger Wellington Macedo said in his opening statement that he would not participate in the work of the college until his lawyers had access to the details of the accusation
September 26, 2023 Army Reserve General Augusto Heleno denied involvement in attempted coups in Planalto. He also denied that he visited camps outside the army headquarters and attended meetings with armed forces chiefs.
March 10, 2023 Businessman Argino Bedin, known in the state of Mato Grosso as the “father of soy”, has remained silent since the start of the meeting. Even in silence, Bedin asked for a break of about three minutes and when defended by opposition parliamentarians, he became emotional.
Political scientist and researcher Kleber Carrilho argues that Colombia’s demand, while important, is “not so easy to resolve.” Because the problems are internal and depend on the stabilization of local politics. The war in Ukraine is also unlikely to have a final solution, although it has greater visibility compared to other issues.
“The problem is that the Russians are permanent members and therefore have veto power on several issues,” he explains. “It is enough for one of the permanent members to veto the discussion of the issue and it will be blocked,” says lawyer Bernardo Pablo Sukiennik, who specializes in international law.
Lula’s criticism
Lula has repeatedly criticized the UN Security Council and even stated that the organization needs to adapt to the current realities of the world. According to him, the institution has been “weakened” and needs to give emerging countries more space and voice.
In a speech to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, USA, in September, Lula defended the expansion of the Security Council, saying that the mechanism was “increasingly losing credibility”. “This fragility arises particularly from the actions of its permanent members, who wage unauthorized wars to achieve territorial expansion or regime change. Her paralysis is the most eloquent proof of the need and urgency for reform that will give her greater representation and effectiveness,” he said.
This year, Lula also complained about the permanent members of the Security Council, saying they were the ones who fueled conflict the most around the world. “The UN of 2023 has nowhere near the same credibility as it did in 1945. The Security Council that was supposed to ensure the security of peace and tranquility is the Security Council that wages war without speaking to anyone,” he said.
“Russia is going to Ukraine without discussing it in the Security Council. The United States goes to Iraq without discussing it in the Security Council. France and England will invade Libya without discussing it in the Security Council. In other words, who does it?” “The Security Council countries are those that produce weapons, the Security Council countries are those that produce weapons, the Security Council countries are those that sell weapons. This is wrong,” Lula added.