rki.news | Sources Anadolu
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council is facing the longest institutional deadlock in its modern history, a senior official warned Wednesday, citing disputes over Iran sanctions and key appointments.
Shamala Kandiah Thompson, executive director of Security Council Report, said there has been no agreement on chairs and vice-chairs since the practice began in 1979. She identified disagreements over leadership of the 1737 Iran Sanctions Committee and a possible “snapback” of sanctions against Tehran as major causes.
Thompson said the paralysis has affected several sanctions committees and working groups. The Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, for example, has accumulated a backlog of country reports because it cannot adopt formal conclusions.
She proposed separating uncontested appointments from disputed ones to restore basic functionality and allow newly elected members to begin preparations for next year.
Thompson also raised concerns about the selection process for the next UN secretary-general, particularly the secrecy surrounding straw polls.
She urged the Security Council to strengthen preventive diplomacy through early-warning mechanisms, clearer crisis-response options and more frequent visiting missions, which have sharply declined since 2020.