We begin with a brief look at some categories of crises threatening the world today:

  ▪ War, conflict and related elements (including annexation, ethnic cleansing, genocide, refugees and terrorism)

  ▪ Tyranny (including neo-fascism) and consequent human rights abuses

  ▪ Nuclear arms race/proliferation

  ▪ Environmental: climate change, pollution, habitat and biodiversity loss, 6th mass extinction, etc.

  ▪ Poverty, hunger and health (including disease and pandemics)

  ▪ Corruption

An organization that should be helping humanity keep these and other kinds of crises under control is the United Nations. That they haven’t done so adequately is the motivation for this petition.
 
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THE UNITED NATIONS

While the United Nations, aka the UN, has modernized in some respects over the decades, they have avoided making fundamental changes, especially to the decision-making core of the Security Council, where there have been five permanent members (the P5) with veto power ever since the UN was founded soon after World War II. These fixed structural aspects of the UN form an integral part of the status quo (SQ).

Their antiquated system, with its faux democratic elements, would perhaps be tolerable if it weren’t for the severe crises and devastating catastrophes facing the world today, following 80 years of nations interacting within the rigid framework of the SQ.

Unfortunately, these crises/catastrophes (roughly categorized in the introduction) are intensifying more than subsiding, have effects more long-lasting or permanent than temporary, and—unless there are significant improvements soon to the system, especially at global/international level—will very likely take a catastrophic toll on humans and countless other living things.

This petition proposes a very significant improvement to the system at global/international level: reform deeply the UN and its Security Council, effectively ending the SQ which has been in place since 1945.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE STATUS QUO?

Among the repercussions of the SQ are these half a dozen:

1. Lets nukes and “might is right” dictate global events

Although nuclear weapons haven’t been used in anger since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945, all members of the P5 have an ample stockpile of warheads, with over 10,000 in total. The leaders of those five nations will no doubt justify their arsenals along deterrence lines: e.g., to deter possible use or intimidation by rival nations with nukes, and to deter invasion of their own territory. However, the effect is that all vetoes are menacingly nuke-backed, and are always respected (given absolute top priority) by the UN.

This allows supporters of the SQ to argue that the vetoes are being used to prevent a direct military confrontation between P5 members that could escalate all the way to total nuclear war. The UN thus gets credited for preventing World War III, which is something it was set up to do.

Their logic has serious flaws, for example, in presuming that the SQ is the best way of handling the threats mentioned above. It is also used to falsely justify perpetuating the SQ, which

  • has led the world to its current deadly and dangerous crises and catastrophes;

  • suffers from the six repercussions listed here (and probably many more);

  • shows ominous signs, as warned earlier, of leading the world to a catastrophe of epic proportions, quite possibly involving that embodiment of “might is right”: those nuclear-weapon stockpiles.

2. Human rights not a top priority

Despite the UN preaching human rights values, they do not exactly give them top priority: higher priority is given to respecting the UN Charter rules, including the right to veto. The cost in human lives destroyed while veto rights are being respected has been evident on many tragic occasions.

3. Hot-air response to aggression and the committing of atrocities grants impunity

Certain regimes, in particular, those with veto protection and inclined to exploit it, may launch invasions or commit whatever heinous act occurs to them under the SQ, safe in the knowledge that the UN will take measures no stronger than a strongly-worded condemnation or a resolution with forceful language, but non-binding. Their easily-ignored “actions” only serve to deflect the blame away from themselves, fooling people who are impressed by all that hot air, while silently granting impunity to the perpetrators.

4. Poor record of resolving major conflicts peacefully

The SQ has resulted in major conflicts going unresolved, in some cases for many decades. A typical scenario is resolutions to try and improve matters being vetoed. This has obvious adverse impacts for those directly involved in the conflicts. It also results in the “great powers” (P5 members) taking matters into their own hands to try to resolve conflicts militarily, with those at the receiving end sometimes resorting to attacks on civilians (i.e., terrorism) to compensate for their lack of conventional military firepower.

5. Provides loopholes for (suspected) war criminals

Individuals wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for suspected war crimes, i.e., fugitives, have some convenient loopholes provided by the SQ:

   • A nation doesn’t have to recognize the ICC, and there is no direct penalty for not doing so. This helps a fugitive who is a citizen or leader of that nation, or who commits war crimes there, or who is simply visiting, to avoid arrest and escape justice.

   • A nation that can count on impunity through veto power can avoid any penalty (such as sanctions) being imposed by the Security Council for harboring such a fugitive.

These fugitives are then free to add to their catalog of war crimes that got them indicted in the first place.

6. Incentivizes the wrong behavior

Nuclear stockpiling, aggression, and the committing of atrocities are, as indicated above, being incentivized (or at least not adequately penalized) by the current UN SQ structure. With the serious global crises facing the world, there really are better things that countries and their governments could be encouraged to do!

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE U.N.?

The UN is the foremost organization with global responsibilities, which include:

   • Maintaining international peace and security.

   • Achieving international cooperation on tackling global problems.

To be fair, it has undoubtedly done some good things over the decades of its existence, such as:

   • Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

   • Delivering humanitarian aid in response to emergencies.

However, it has also demonstrated, time and time again, that, in its current form, it’s incapable of dealing adequately with the severe challenges and crises of the 21st century, with catastrophic and tragic consequences. For example:

Four catastrophic UN failures

1. Failure to prevent or stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They’ve been unable to order (and not just request politely with a non-binding resolution!) Russia to halt their hostilities against Ukraine and withdraw their forces, as the former can simply use their veto power to prevent such an order—a binding Security Council resolution with enforcement action specified, such as obligatory sanctions, in case of Russia’s non-compliance—from being adopted and implemented by member nations.

2. Failure to resolve major conflicts, such as the Israeli-Palestinian one, over many decades. You may well have noticed their multi-decade charade of issuing or drafting resolutions, such as ceasefire proposals, ostensibly aiming to improve matters or save lives, but which are either implemented rarely (the issued, but non-binding, General Assembly ones) or vetoed often (the drafted, binding Security Council ones).

3. Failure, via the WHO, to alert on / prevent COVID-19 turning into a deadly global pandemic. For example, they were late declaring COVID-19 an international health emergency.

4. They’ve let climate change spiral out of control, endangering countless species, including Homo sapiens. They’ve been slyly deflecting the blame for this onto others, especially the fossil-fuel industry, while welcoming to their Climate Change Conferences sizeable delegations of lobbyists from the very same industry!

Four abysmal UN faults that have contributed to their failures

1. Arrogance/Complacency: They self-praise, preach sanctimoniously, and deflect the blame instead of accepting responsibility for their own colossal failures.

2. Corruption: This scourge is no stranger to the UN, from corrupt officials soliciting bribes and receiving kickbacks (as happened with their Oil-for-Food Programme for Iraq), to powerful donor nations leveraging foreign aid to influence the voting there, whether in the General Assembly or Security Council.

3. Dysfunction: They have often been unable to resolve major conflicts or even send in humanitarian aid, as the Security Council’s self-serving system of vetoes and permanent memberships prioritizes what a veto-wielding nation—who may well be a belligerent of the conflict in question—wants over the combined wishes of the rest of the “United” Nations.

4. Hypocrisy: For example, they preach human rights values and condemn violations of them, while condoning with their actions those that systematically abuse them. Two examples:

1. In 2023 they appointed Iran, a brutal regime with an appalling human rights record, to chair the Human Rights Council Social Forum.
2. They’ve allowed Russia, perpetrator of the Bucha massacre and ongoing atrocities in Ukraine, to keep all its Security Council privileges: permanent seat, right to veto, and (on a rotating basis) the presidency.

SOLUTION: DEEP U.N. REFORM, ENDING THE STATUS QUO

We propose that they take action on the following seven points:

1. Establish a new top priority: respect for nature. To maximize survival chances for humans and many other species, this needs to be the number one priority. Compare with the UN’s long-standing, observable top priorities:
   ▪ Acquiring money: forgivable when for benevolent reasons, but hard to forgive when for their perks and corruption;
   ▪ Respect for the UN Charter rules, including, above all, the bloodstained right to veto.

2. Abolish the Security Council’s permanent memberships and vetoes, which are dictatorial, unjust, and self-serving; grant impunity (including to regimes of a tyrannical or even genocidal nature); suffer from the SQ repercussions listed earlier; and have been used as a license to commit horrendous human rights violations and war crimes. Below, we explain what should happen if there is an attempt to veto this.

3. Introduce mechanisms such as Qualified majority voting and Plan A/B committees to help peacefully resolve conflicts and disputes involving countries, nations, territories, etc. in a faster and fairer way.

4. Respect and prioritize human rights with their actions, instead of paying lip service. For example, that they sanction regimes that commit systematic human rights abuses, instead of just condemning or urging such regimes to reform.

5. Introduce solid anti-corruption and accountability mechanisms.

6. Incentivize/penalize countries and their governments to act more responsibly, especially in matters of high concern such as climate change, the nuclear sector and human rights. Note that abolishing the inflexible system of vetoes and permanent seats creates new opportunities for incentivizing or penalizing.

7. Organize* a summit: “Summit for the Comprehensive Reform of the United Nations and its Security Council”, which is expected to last for around a month and include the following invitees:

   • Existing UN members (nations)
   • Nation blocs
   • Global environmental organizations (to help with points 1 and 6 above)

This summit would be a good place to propose plans, debate them, and agree on how points 1-6 above are to be implemented.

*By the UN, but if it becomes apparent that a P5 member intends to use its veto to block the reform or unfairly influence the reform process, and a way to disregard it cannot rapidly be found, then the nations themselves, operating outside the UN, should organize this summit with a view to creating a replacement organization, much like the UN once replaced its predecessor, the League of Nations.

DON’T BE FOOLED BY THEIR “CALLS” FOR SELF-REFORM!

For decades now, the UN have been “calling for”—but never doing!—deep self-reform.

One such disingenuous reform “call” was their 2-day “Summit of the Future” held in September 2024, a visionary-sounding name, but note that their “Pact for the Future” doesn’t end the UN’s SQ: there was no agreement to abolish the discredited system of vetoes and permanent seats, so the terrible SQ repercussions look set to continue.

WOULD YOU HELP US SET THE BALL ROLLING ON AN URGENT, DEEP, AND SERIOUS REFORM OF THE U.N.?

If you can understand the urgent necessity for a deep and serious reform of the “United” Nations, its “Security” Council included, in order to
 
 – end its 80-year status quo

 – so the world gets an organization that is significantly more capable of handling the 21st century’s severe challenges, crises, and catastrophes

 – which acts fairly in the best interests of people of all nations, instead of bowing to the wishes of the (in some cases, tyrannical) leaderships of the “great powers” (P5)

 – for the sake of better, safer, and more peaceful lives and futures for all the planet’s inhabitants

 – we’d greatly appreciate your taking a moment to join* us!

*By signing and, if you can, helping us popularize the petition by sharing or recommending it to people you know.

Thank you for reading this petition. If you’d like to see a more detailed version, head here.

Take care!
Bye

CREDITS

Petition
  Paul and François

Languages
  English: Paul
  French: *
  German: *
  Hindi: *
  Italian: *
  Portuguese: *
  Spanish: Paul, Bettsy and Ariana
  Turkish: *
  Ukrainian: *
*Paul, using translate software Google Translate and DeepL.

Photos
  UN Security Council: Carlo Allegri/Reuters

  Gaza. A huge explosion in a building as a result of a bombing by Israeli warplanes Feb 22, 2025: Mohammed Ibrahim (Unsplash.com)

  United Nations offices in Geneva with member country flags: Mathias Reding (Unsplash.com)

  Covid mass graves in Brazil: Chico Batada/dpa

  A teacher holds a clock in a classroom damaged by a Russian missile attack in one of the schools in Lviv. February 15, 2024: Roman Baluk / the Collection of war.ukraine.ua

  Amazon forest fires from space: OSORIOartist (Shutterstock.com)

  US forest fire: David McNew (Getty images)

  Silhouette of a koala, now an endangered species, escaping Australian bush fire on eucalyptus branch: Benny Marty (Shutterstock.com)

  Nuclear explosion: National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office

THE END