The Guardian Weekly

Russia’s place on security council must be reviewed

It has long been tragicomical that Russia is a permanent member of the UN security council. Now that the international criminal court has issued an arrest warrant for that country’s head of state the situation has progressed from absurd to obscene (Spotlight, 24 March). If the UN is to retain any credibility in global affairs, Russia’s status in the organisation must be updated.

Regrettably there is nothing in the UN charter that provides for the removal of a permanent member of the security council that has gone rogue and rejected every principle that the UN stands for. But surely some means must exist at least to neutralise the security council while the anomaly of Russia’s membership persists. Perhaps something akin to the “Uniting for Peace” resolution 377A?

John Standingford Linden Park, South Australia

• Writing as a senior member of the UK delegation at the negotiations in Rome that led to the establishment of the international criminal court, I welcome its decision on Vladimir Putin, even if it is unrealistic to think that there will be an arrest anytime soon.

The UK is a party to the Rome statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and played a leading negotiating role at a time when it believed in the international rule of law. However, the key protagonists in the Ukraine war are not.

Russia is not a party to the statute, yet the arrest warrant names its president. Ukraine is not a party, although the crimes are alleged to have been committed on its territory. And the US is not a party, although Joe Biden has welcomed the ICC’s actions. To some commentators, foreign policy is complicated; to others it is decidedly murky. Christopher Muttukumaru London, England, UK

Opinion

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2023-03-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://theguardianweekly.pressreader.com/article/282299619426983

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