daniel chigunwe
UNITED NATIONS. — The United Nations Security Council, which is based in New York, is expected to meet this morning to discuss the political emergency where the Taliban militia has overrun the Government.
The Taliban have immediately lowered the United States flag at its embassy in Kabul, hours after taking over governance and the embassy staff is now holed up at the airport after being evacuated.
In its own words: “The security council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
It has 15 members, and each member has one vote. Under the charter of the United Nations, all member states are obligated to comply with council decisions.
“The security council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the security council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorise the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.”
The security council has five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, collectively known as the P5.
Any one of them can veto a resolution, the Council on Foreign Relations notes.
The body seeks to address threats to international security.
Its five permanent members were chosen in the wake of the second world war.
The security council fosters negotiations, imposes sanctions, and authorises the use of force, including the deployment of peacekeeping missions.
Critics say the council’s structure is outdated and that it fails to represent many regions of the world, spurring calls for reforms, CFR notes.
It adds: “The security council, the United Nations’ principal crisis-management body, is empowered to impose binding obligations on the 193 UN member states to maintain peace.
The council’s five permanent and 10 elected members meet regularly to assess threats to international security, including civil wars, natural disasters, arms proliferation and terrorism.
Since the withdrawal of US soldiers over the past few months, the Taliban made a shock, largely unchallenged march to Kabul, more than a decade after it was booted out of power.
The latest Taliban takeover has send shock waves to the US and its allies and the establishment of their announcement that they will establish a new Islamic state, has made things worse. — Guardian.
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