DHAKA : North South University’s (NSU) Center for Peace
Studies (CPS) organized a lecture series titled “The UN Security Council:
Challenges and the Way Forward” on 20 September 2026 at the Law Department
Conference Room of North South University. Dr. Virgil Hawkins, Professor at the
Osaka School of International and Public Policy (OSIPP), Osaka University,
delivered the keynote address.
The session was moderated by CPS Director Professor Dr. M
Jashim Uddin.Dr. Ishtiaque Ahmed, Barrister-At-Law, MCIArb, Chair, Department
of Law, and Dr. Rizwan Khair,Chair, Department of Political Science and
Sociology, participated in the session, which ended with a vote of thanks
delivered by Dr. Ziaul Haq Adnan,Chair, Department of Management at North South
University.
In his opening speech, Professor Dr. M Jashim Uddin
presented the context for the formation of the United Nations and noted that
the objective was to bring Peace to the world, but its guardianship in managing
and resolving conflict, as well as its role as a collective security player,
are in question. He also questioned the role of major powers in misusing their
veto power, which is a concern for global peace in the long run.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Virgil Hawkins, provided a
thoughtful discussion on the institutional mechanism of the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC) and the extent to which it contributes to global peace
and security. He discussed how the unelected P5 and elected members of the UNSC
are responding to the global security crisis. Hesought to showcase the findings
of his research experience at the UN through a pattern in which the UNSC P5
most often exercised their veto power when member states had the least support.
Notably, figured out that the UNSC is responding to the crisis based on the
powerful countries’ priorities, comparing two examples—formulating a UN
resolution within 6 days of the terrorist attack in Spain, but taking 6 years
to respond to the long-standing conflict in Sierra Leone. Overall, he concluded
that the effort to reform the UN must prioritize the small states’ voice, which
constitutes the majority of votes in the United Nations General Assembly.
The Director of CPS thanked the keynote speaker for his thoughtful discussion and urged a way to overcome the politicization of the Security Council so that nations do not become victims of the “unlathed” five members of the Security Council. Then he urged Dr. Ziaul Haq Adnan to give the vote of thanks, and the session was concluded accordingly.
