A chara, – Both Theresa May, prime minister of the United Kingdom, and Donald Trump, president of the United States, both of which countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council, with the power of veto, have strongly expressed their earnest desire to see the UN “reformed” and being far more “effective”. We are all, in theory at least, in favour of reform. Perhaps they could start by relinquishing their countries’ permanent membership of the UN Security Council and their power of veto and make the UN truly representative and democratic.
I do not, however, believe that either state actually wants to see the UN reformed in the true meaning of the word. By “reform”, they seem to really want to pay less to the UN budget, have far greater control over other states and, conversely, have far less interference or criticism by other countries in their own affairs.
By that standard, the less reform of the UN we have, the better. As one British judge so aptly opined many years ago in a different context : “Reform, reform? Aren’t things bad enough!” – Is mise,
E DILLON,
Farranshone,
Limerick.