France calls for reform to strengthen United Nations, warns against attempts to weaken global body

Paris: France expects the next United Nations secretary-general to pursue reforms that strengthen the organisation, enhance its legitimacy and reinforce its role in maintaining international peace, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told the French Senate this week.

“What we expect from a future secretary-general is that he can reform the United Nations to strengthen it, and certainly not discredit it in order to better bury it,” Barrot said.

He warned against efforts by major powers to undermine or paralyse the world body, stressing that the United Nations was established to advance peace, development and human rights.

Barrot said international cooperation and multilateralism remained essential to addressing an expanding range of global challenges, including armed conflicts, artificial intelligence, climate change and pandemics.

France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is seeking reforms aimed at making the organisation more representative and legitimate, while preserving its capacity to respond to international crises.

Barrot also highlighted a French initiative to restrict the use of veto powers by permanent members of the Security Council, particularly in situations involving mass civilian suffering.

The initiative seeks to prevent the veto from obstructing international action when civilians are under attack, including in conflicts affecting Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and Iran.

France has repeatedly advocated greater accountability in the exercise of veto powers, arguing that the Security Council must remain capable of responding to serious threats to international peace and security.

The French foreign minister’s remarks underscored Paris’s position that reform should strengthen the United Nations rather than diminish its authority or effectiveness.

The next secretary-general will face pressure to address divisions among major powers, improve the organisation’s ability to respond to conflicts and emerging global threats, and reinforce confidence in the multilateral system.

France maintains that a more effective and representative United Nations is essential to international stability and cooperation at a time when geopolitical rivalries are complicating collective responses to global challenges.