M-90 United Nations Security Council

That:

(a) the House recognize that,

(i) the inability of the United Nations and its Security Council to effectively counter emerging challenges due to an abusive and unconstrained exercise of the right to veto, most recently demonstrated in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, constitutes an existential threat to national security of Canada,

(ii) Article 2(2) of the UN Charter provides that its members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the present Charter,

(iii) the right to veto is both a right and benefit resulting from membership and, thus, should only be available in case of good faith performance of obligations under the Charter,

(iv) an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice requested by the UN General Assembly is an effective way to interpret the UN Charter,

(v) failure of the United Nations to observe consistency in applying its own rules, including admission of the Russian Federation in violation of Art. 4 of the UN Charter in 1991 and differing from the treatment of other members in similar situations, has undermined Organization’s integrity; and

(b) in the opinion of the House, the government should,

(i) initiate and actively pursue text-based discussions on a comprehensive UN Security Council reform,

(ii) advocate for a limitation of the right to veto in the Security Council in cases where there is evidence of international crimes or when a permanent member has gravely violated the UN Charter,

(iii) promote a change in the composition of its membership to better reflect today’s global order,

(iv) consider initiating a UN General Assembly resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice regarding potential restrictions on the right to veto of the Security Council permanent members deriving from the UN Charter and general principles of law,

(v) not allow the Russian Federation to continue blocking the Security Council and undermining its work with complete impunity,

(vi) achieve significant progress in negotiating with international partners and seeking an authoritative interpretation of the Charter till the UN Summit for the Future to be held in September 2024.