Small states with a longstanding and ongoing conflict, like Cyprus, absolutely rely on the effectiveness of the Security Council, said Poly Ioannou, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the UN. Addressing on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus, on September 12, a discussion on the 2018 Report of the Security Council, at the United Nations General Assembly, Ioannou also said that “the Council should be resolute in recognizing, condemning, and addressing unauthorized use of force.”
We cannot overstate the importance of having a Security Council that is not distracted from focusing purely on threats to peace, the use of force, and conflict resolution, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Cyprus added.
Ioannou also referred to the importance of upholding the primacy of international law when making decisions, adding that the Security Council “must consistently apply the same set of rules that we have collectively elaborated and mainstreamed in international relations.”
When resolving conflict, justice cannot be sacrificed for the sake of peace, or peace will not be sustainable, she noted.
The Cypriot official also remarked that the high number of conflicts in the world today shows that “the performance of the Council is suboptimal.” Where the Council is too divided to take action, the General Assembly has more powers to act than it is currently using, Ionanou said. The key to delivering as an organization may lie in achieving the right synergies between the General Assembly and the Security Council, she concluded.