Calling on the UN to save itself
Calling on the UN to save itself
The Issue
In the first, optimistic meeting of the United Nations Security Council 80 years ago, the US delegate stated:
‘Many failures lie behind this day…This time, we cannot afford to fail.’
We, the undersigned citizens of UN member states and permanent observer states, refuse to accept the failure and demise of the organisation through willful inaction.
The UN is failing to meet its primary function of maintaining global peace and security, and mandating its primary rule of forbidding the illegal use of force.
That the UN political organs are not meeting with the necessary urgency and regularity in the face of escalating and widening illegal use of force, and loss of human life and dignity, is unacceptable to us.
If the UN cannot function on the most pressing files due to political pressures - including through withholding of financial dues - and lack of political will from capitals, we call on diplomats and UN staff to demonstrate their allegiance to the Charter by peaceful but public forms of protest.
This may include ‘vocal protest’, such as the holding of press conferences, or ‘silent protest’, such as withholding a quorum for General Assembly and Committee meetings, and the withholding of necessary votes on Security Council Resolutions.
Civil society is being left to carry the burden of protest against the breakdown of multilateral order, and respect for the rule of law.
After the promises made to those of us alive in 1945, or to our parents and grandparents - that the United Nations would actively commit to preventing a third global conflict - we refuse to accept inaction and silence.
***
The petition author, producer of The Veto, has been actively encouraged by UN ambassadors to sustain civil society pressure on themselves and their colleagues. The goal of this petition is to gather as many signatures as possible by Monday 16 March 2026, to be delivered directly to UN member state missions, UN departments, the President of the General Assembly, and the office of the Secretary General.
As reference to the inaction, this is the March 2026 schedule of Security Council meetings, as at 8 March 2026
37
The Issue
In the first, optimistic meeting of the United Nations Security Council 80 years ago, the US delegate stated:
‘Many failures lie behind this day…This time, we cannot afford to fail.’
We, the undersigned citizens of UN member states and permanent observer states, refuse to accept the failure and demise of the organisation through willful inaction.
The UN is failing to meet its primary function of maintaining global peace and security, and mandating its primary rule of forbidding the illegal use of force.
That the UN political organs are not meeting with the necessary urgency and regularity in the face of escalating and widening illegal use of force, and loss of human life and dignity, is unacceptable to us.
If the UN cannot function on the most pressing files due to political pressures - including through withholding of financial dues - and lack of political will from capitals, we call on diplomats and UN staff to demonstrate their allegiance to the Charter by peaceful but public forms of protest.
This may include ‘vocal protest’, such as the holding of press conferences, or ‘silent protest’, such as withholding a quorum for General Assembly and Committee meetings, and the withholding of necessary votes on Security Council Resolutions.
Civil society is being left to carry the burden of protest against the breakdown of multilateral order, and respect for the rule of law.
After the promises made to those of us alive in 1945, or to our parents and grandparents - that the United Nations would actively commit to preventing a third global conflict - we refuse to accept inaction and silence.
***
The petition author, producer of The Veto, has been actively encouraged by UN ambassadors to sustain civil society pressure on themselves and their colleagues. The goal of this petition is to gather as many signatures as possible by Monday 16 March 2026, to be delivered directly to UN member state missions, UN departments, the President of the General Assembly, and the office of the Secretary General.
As reference to the inaction, this is the March 2026 schedule of Security Council meetings, as at 8 March 2026
37
The Decision Makers
Petition created on March 8, 2026