by Voltaire Network
May 29, 2026

from VoltaireNet Website

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This is the editorial from our paywalled

"Voltaire, international newsletter", n°178.







 

  • At the initiative of China,

     

    which holds the presidency in May, the UN Security Council met on May 22, 2026, under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Wang Yi for an open debate on upholding the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and strengthening the UN-centered international system.

It has become clear that the crisis of multilateralism is, above all, a crisis of the UN Security Council itself, which is paralyzed by the veto power of its permanent members and by a membership that does not reflect the increasingly complex realities of the modern world.

 

  • FM Wang put forward several proposals:

     

    • revitalize the UN Charter to demonstrate stronger leadership
       

    • revitalize the authority of the UN Security Council to demonstrate a stronger capacity for action (i.e., calling on the international community to respect principles such as multilateralism and non-interference in internal affairs, while improving global governance and resolving disputes by peaceful means and preserving regional and global peace and stability)
       

    • revitalize global development cooperation to harness greater mobilization capacities
       

    • revitalize global governance platforms to build implementation capacities
       

    • revitalize the effectiveness of the United Nations system

He stated that the root cause of the chaos in today's world is not that the spirit of the Charter is outdated, but that the international order and the basic norms governing international relations, both of which are enshrined in the Charter, are not effectively maintained and respected.

 

"Our duty is to uphold the Charter," while highlighting what he described as a "remilitarization" of Germany and Japan (which he did not name).

He asserted that the countries defeated in World War II are now seeking,

"plausible pretexts to rewrite its outcomes"...