French foreign minister says 'too often' UN fails to act on atrocities

ISTANBUL

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warned on Saturday that the UN is increasingly unable to respond effectively to global crises, saying the Security Council too often fails to act when mass atrocities occur.

“Too often now we're seeing situations of mass atrocities where the UN Security Council is not able to project force or to take action, or sanctions,” Barrot told a press briefing at the Munich Security Conference.

He said discussions among G7 members and partners such as India show broad agreement that reform of the UN system is urgent, citing what he described as a growing global perception that the organization “cannot provide full-fledged solutions."

Barrot stressed that the problem is not the UN’s relevance but its structure.

He said reform must address both legitimacy and efficiency, arguing the Security Council should be expanded to better reflect current geopolitical realities.

France supports adding new permanent members, including Japan, India, Germany, Brazil, and two African countries, he added. Currently, the permanent members are the US, UK, Russia, China, and France.

On decision-making, he pointed to a France-Mexico initiative urging permanent members to voluntarily refrain from using veto power in cases involving mass atrocities.

According to Barrot, 107 countries have endorsed the proposal so far, and Paris hopes to push for further commitments or even a resolution before the end of the year if conditions allow.

“It’s not about abolishing veto,” he said. “It’s about maintaining a reasonable use of veto ... when the world witnesses the unbearable reality of human humanitarian catastrophes.”

Despite criticism of the Security Council’s performance, Barrot emphasized the UN’s operational importance, particularly in humanitarian crises. Recalling visits to refugee camps near Sudan, he said that without UN logistics networks “the situation would be untenable. It would be inhuman, it would be dire.”

Barrot also said Paris plans to use upcoming diplomatic platforms, including an Africa-focused summit it will co-chair with Kenya in May, to build support for reform proposals and improvements to peacekeeping and humanitarian delivery.

Beyond UN reform, Barrot addressed broader security issues discussed in Munich, including Europe’s defense posture and the war in Ukraine.

He said Europe has “clearly stood up” militarily over the past decade and must continue strengthening its industrial and defense capabilities, while also preparing for future discussions on continental security architecture that could eventually include dialogue with Russia.

He added that Europe should not interpret possible adjustments in US military commitments as negative, describing them instead as an incentive to build a stronger European pillar within NATO.

On China, Barrot reiterated the EU’s position that Beijing is simultaneously “a partner, a competitor, and a systemic rival,” stressing the need for economic rebalancing while avoiding broad protectionism.

He warned that if cooperation fails, Europe may ultimately have to take steps to protect its economic interests.