• Submitted by: manso
• International
• 04 / 08 / 2011

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Thursday 07 April 2011. By Our Foreign Desk. The UN security council is "undemocratic" and should be reformed to better represent developing countries and eliminate the veto wielded by its five permanent members, Cuba's top diplomat said on Wednesday.

After addressing the council about reconstruction in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said he supported efforts to expand the number of permanent seats on the 15-member council to include emerging powers such as India and Brazil.

Mr Rodriguez said reform should also include more non-permanent seats and that the veto should be eliminated.

"The use of the veto is totally undemocratic," he said.

The five permanent council members - the United States, Britain, France, China, and Russia - all wield veto power.

The other seats are filled by regional groups for two-year stretches, with five elected each year.

The veto has been used only occasionally in recent years.

The United States angered the international community in February when it vetoed a UN resolution that would have condemned Israel's illegal settlements.

Mr Rodriguez, who was Cuba's ambassador to the UN for a decade, said that the general assembly, which represents all 192 members, is "truly democratic" and should take over some roles from the security council.

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