On 14 February 2023, UNU will host “Is the UN Security Council Paralyzed? The Impact of Ukraine on the UN and the World”, a conversation with Ms Karin Landgren, Executive Director of Security Council Report. This event will start at 18:30 in the 1F Annex Space at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.
Although the UN Security Council is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, it could not prevent the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the eve of that invasion, an elected Council member lamented that “multilateralism lies on its deathbed tonight”.
As we mark one year since the invasion, what are the impacts of this ongoing breach of international law by a permanent member of the Security Council? Has the Security Council lost all credibility over this failure? Many observers predicted paralysis for the Council, but how should the Council be assessed over the past year?
Ms Karin Landgren will join UNU Rector David Malone for a conversation exploring how and why the Security Council has arrived at this impasse and possible ways forward. The discussion will outline potential paths of UN Security Council reform, why true Council reform is so complex, and what kinds of “reform-ish” steps could be taken by UN member states to address the Council’s credibility gap.
The UNU Conversation Series aims to foster audience participation; you are encouraged to engage with the speakers during the conversation and at the reception that will follow, where all event attendees are invited to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks while exchanging ideas and making new contacts.
Please note that this event will be in English. Advance registration (by 13 February) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page.
Please also note that entry into the venue will not be allowed after 18:45. Additionally, please be prepared to present identification at check-in.
About the speaker
Karin Landgren is a former UN Under-Secretary-General with extensive experience in conflict and post-conflict settings and is the first woman to have headed three UN peace operations (in Burundi, Liberia, and Nepal). She began her career with UNHCR, working principally in Asia and Africa, and subsequently joined UNICEF as chief of child protection.
