NZ says UN Security Council has failed to act on Syria

2 October 2015 02:06 pm

Wellington (dpa) - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key launched an attack on the UN Security Council on Friday for failing to end the misery in Syria.

Key told the UN General Assembly it was time for members to set aside their vested interests and historical alliances in order to stop the violence in Syria.

He said the power of veto held by the five permanent members, the US, China, Russia, France and Britain had created an extraordinary power imbalance and was a constraint on the Security Council's effectiveness.

"For that reason New Zealand supports [limiting] the use of the veto in mass atrocity situations."