Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has told the UN General Assembly that permanent members' use of veto power is preventing Security Council from fulfilling its role.
"We must ask whether the current United Nations is really fulfilling the role it was originally expected to play," Ishiba said at the General Debate of the General Assembly's 80th Session Tuesday.
He pointed out that responsibility for the UN's most important function — the maintenance of international peace and security — rests with the Security Council. However, he observed that "in many critical cases, the Council was unable to take the necessary decisions due to the veto power granted to the permanent members".
"Russia's aggression against Ukraine is the most obvious example," he pointed out, stating that this situation "shakes the very foundation of the international order" as Moscow's aggression against Kyiv continues.
He added, "The veto was an unavoidable safety valve designed to prevent direct conflict between the major Powers; however, the inherent limitations of the UN are clear." In this context, he underscored the need to decisively implement Council reform, making the organ more representative without losing its effectiveness.
Turning to the issue of nuclear weapons, with a permanent member of the Security Council "openly making nuclear threats", he voiced concern that the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons may be lowered. "The nuclear catastrophe our nation has experienced must never be repeated."
"It is North Korea that is now challenging these efforts towards a world without nuclear weapons head-on," the Prime Minister said. He called for full implementation of the numerous Council resolutions aimed at the complete denuclearization of the country.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.