How UN Becomes a Tool of a Few to Meddle in Internal Affairs of Other Countries

While the US is pushing ahead with the idea of United Nations reform the real problem is that the organization has become a tool in the hands of a few to impose their will on other countries, Chinese expert Yang Mian told Sputnik, adding that the organization needs to boost the efficiency of its peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.

While the United Nations (UN) does need to carry out some reforms the major problem with the organization is that some powers are using its bodies to meddle in the domestic affairs of other countries, Chinese Communications Ministry expert Yang Mian told Sputnik China, adding that Beijing and other developing countries oppose such an approach.

"The UN Human Rights Council plays an important role in strengthening human rights worldwide. However, in reality some countries deliberately use this platform to interfere in the internal political affairs of other states under the slogan 'Human rights are above sovereignty,'" Yang emphasized, in a clear reference to Washington.

To illustrate his point the Chinese expert referred to the fact that US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley had repeatedly lambasted the council for allowing countries accused of human rights abuses by Washington to retain their membership in the organization.

Echoing Haley, Vice President Mike Pence claimed Wednesday that the UN Human Rights Council "doesn't deserve its name," since it is keeping "many of the worst human rights violators in the world," such as Cuba and Venezuela, as its members. Pence insisted that the UN "must reform the Human Rights Council's membership and its operation."

Yang agrees that the United Nations needs to undertake a number of reforms given the fact that problems of nuclear arms proliferation, poverty and regional economic development have recently taken on a new significance.

"The UN needs to boost its activity and improve its efficiency while dealing with these matters," he said. "However, to cut poverty one needs to figure out how exactly one can provide effective assistance to developing countries."

As for UN peacekeeping missions, the issue of their funding and quality does need to be addressed, the expert believes. He recalled that UN peacekeepers have repeatedly been subjected to attacks in the regions where they were conducting their operations.

Yang believes that the UN should reconsider some rules and principles of carrying out its peacekeeping missions worldwide to increase their efficiency and ensure the security of the organization's contingent.

"However, these decisions should be made by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council," the Chinese expert stressed.

Additionally the issue of expanding permanent membership in the UN Security Council still remains high on the organization's agenda, Yang noted, referring to Germany, Japan, Brazil and India. While Germany and Japan are two countries that lost the Second World War, Brazil and India are emerging industrial powers.

Citing the fact that the international community has yet to reach consensus on this matter, the Chinese expert emphasized that China does not harbor preconceptions about any country.

Still, Beijing believes that if some countries do not recognize their war crimes, or violate UN resolutions, they shouldn't be granted the UN Security Council permanent membership, he noted referring to Japan and India's rejection to follow UN resolutions on the Kashmir territorial dispute between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Previously, US President Donald Trump presented a US-drafted 10-point declaration promoting "effective, meaningful reform." The declaration urged the UN member states to "reduce mandate duplication, redundancy and overlap, including among the main organs of the United Nations," and voiced support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his efforts to make "concrete changes" to improve the UN's humanitarian, development and peacekeeping initiatives.

The US contributes 22 percent of the UN's $5.6 billion regular budget and about 28.5 percent of the funding for UN peacekeeping operations.

On Monday US Ambassador Haley announced that 128 out of the 193 UN member states signed Trump's declaration. Russia, China and dozens of other countries didn't join the initiative.

Commenting on the matter, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia clarified that one could not "undertake the UN reform and change the UN through a declaration without the consent of all member countries" and added that such a reform should be undertaken through an intergovernmental process.