On 15 May, members of UNA-UK, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the UN and Chatham House were addressed by Sir Mark Lyall Grant, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, as he discussed some of the pressing issues currently facing the UN Security Council.
The event took the form of a conversation with one of Sir Mark’s predecessors: Lord Hannay of Chiswick, which gave rise to a lively discussion covering a wide range of topics, from the emergence of a new Cold War-type paralysis within the Security Council, to the ever-heated debate on Security Council reform.
Sir Mark began by explaining that, whilst there has indeed been deadlock on issues such as Syria and Ukraine, what makes the situation different from the Cold War era is that on other issues “there is broadly business as usual in the Security Council”. Sir Mark made the point by citing Russia’s cooperation on recent conflict issues in Africa, whilst also mentioning that this paralysis has not undermined work outside of the Security Council, such as on the post-2015 development agenda.
Sir Mark further stated that broad cooperation between states could continue “subject to one criteria: if Russian forces went across the border into Eastern Southern Ukraine, then I think we would see a reversion to what we had during the Cold War. I think it would be virtually impossible to do business as usual on African conflict issues and other issues.”
Regarding Security Council reform, whilst acknowledging the overwhelming support at the UN for action, Sir Mark noted “everyone has a slightly different vision and a vested interest in how that reform should happen and in what shape. Those opposing forces are blocking the chances of any breakthrough in it. As I say, the intensity of the discussions is increasing, but my personal view is that until the African bloc changes its position on Security Council reform, it’s unlikely to make any dramatic progress.”
The election of the next Secretary-General was a topic both speakers were keen to discuss. Sir Mark outlined some of the elements that may affect the process:
- the notion that it’s Eastern Europe’s turn
- the expectation that it’s also a woman’s turn
- the fact that candidates usually come from a category of ex-heads of state and government
Sir Mark continued "You put all that together and there are still some names that meet all three categories...it will be interesting to see who emerges.”
Click here to read UNA-UK’s briefing on the appointment process for the UN Secretary General
On UN Peacekeeping, Sir Mark stated that, following the UK's troop drawdown in Afghanistan, "there is the opportunity to reengage in slightly bigger numbers in UN peacekeeping" including by contributing more in niche capabilities such as helicopters, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, intelligence and strategic airlift.
To conclude the discussion, Lord Hannay asked Sir Mark about the UK’s place within the UN. Citing our position as a member of the P5, being the only G20 country to meet the development target for overseas aid, and the English language as a benefit in terms of negotiating, Sir Mark stated that he believes the “United Kingdom’s standing at the UN is very high” and he believes it will remain that way for the foreseeable future.
Watch the full discussion below
A transcript of the conversation is available by clicking here, courtesy of Chatham House
