Iranian President blasts US Influence on UN

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad questioned the neutrality and indifference of the United Nations, and blasted Washington's influence and interference in the decision-making process of the international organization. "At present, the UN is not an organization for all nations to show up in it freely and easily," Ahmadinejad told reporters upon arrival at New York's airport. He lamented that the UN is headquartered in the US which holds biased positions against other countries, and said, "To visit the UN, you need to receive a visa from the US government while the US is a member of the UN like the other countries." Ahmadinejad called on the UN to respect the rights of all nations and boost the interests, dignity and glory of all human beings. The Iranian President had also earlier criticized the UN Security Council for its unfair structure and for giving a veto-wielding power to a specific number of countries. "A few countries have the veto power at the Security Council which means the rule of a few states over humanity," Ahmadinejad said in 2010. Also, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly underlined the necessity for reforms in the UN structure, and reiterated that Muslims should also have a proper share of the permanent UN Security Council seats. Winners of the Second World War shaped the Charter of the UN in their national interests, dividing the veto-power pertinent to the permanent seats amongst themselves. Even though the geopolitical realities changed drastically since 1945, when the set-up of the current Council was decided, the Security Council has changed very little during this long period. Reform of the United Nations Security Council encompasses five key issues: categories of membership, the question of the veto held by the five permanent members, regional representation, the size of an enlarged Council and its working methods.