Shipping Adviser M Sakhawat Hussain has emphasised accountability and reform in the use of the veto at the United Nations Security Council.
He made these remarks at a seminar titled “UN Day: Review and Assessment of UN Reforms” held at North South University on Thursday on the occasion of United Nations Day 2025.
The event was jointly organised by the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), the Hussain and Hussain (H&H) Foundation, and the United Nations Association (UNA) – Luton Branch (UK).
Brigadier General (Retd.) M Sakhawat Hussain, adviser to the Ministry of Shipping, was present as the chief guest at the event.
Highlighting the need for structural reform of the UN, he said, “Ensuring an effective role for the UN requires transparency and accountability in the use of the veto by the permanent members of the Security Council. In maintaining global peace, responsibility applies not only to the powerful states but equally to all member countries. Bangladesh, from its peace-loving, neutral, and constructive stance, is committed to playing a positive role in establishing world peace.”
He further said, “The current world situation makes now the appropriate time to rebuild commitment to multilateral cooperation and humanitarian values.”
David Chizmán, secretary of UNA Luton, presented the keynote paper. He emphasised reconsidering the UN veto process and greater global cooperation.
The organisation’s president, Nazia Khanam, called for inspiring the younger generation with the core values of the UN and highlighted the necessity of Security Council reform.
Ambassador Sufiur Rahman, Senior Research Fellow at SIPG, said, “Gradual, realistic reforms are needed to make the UN more effective.”
At the closing of the event, the DAKBOX Foundation, the H&H Foundation, the Public Speaking Foundation, and the PRAN-RFL Group were honored for their contributions to social development and the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh.
Diplomats, academics, civil society representatives, and journalists attended the seminar. They described the event as a timely and fruitful discussion platform concerning UN reform and the future of the global governance system.
