"The world was shocked by the massive terror attack of Hamas on October 7 against Israel and the principles of the free world. Israel has the right to defend itself within international law. We must move towards a solution that would end the deteriorating humanitarian crisis and conclude with two states that can exist side by side," Tsahkna said during the annual foreign policy debate at the Riigikogu on Tuesday.

The principles that underpin democratic society and Estonia's very own independence need "care, attention and protection," and for this self-determination freedom is necessary, the minister said.

"If we wish to live as we want and as we consider right, we must first be free and not only as a country but also on the individual, community and societal level. The freer we are and the better we understand freedom, the greater the cohesion within ourselves and in any part of the world," he continued.

"Freedom in its various manifestations ensures democracy, which has proven to be the best model for state organization that offers long-term solutions," he said.

Tsahkna stressed that the protection of fundamental and human rights must be a part of global security policy. "More vigorously and more consciously than hitherto."

The minister said that Estonia has joined the group of voices that advocate for reforming both the UN and its Security Council.

"We have joined forces with various groups in the UN that want to carry out a reform of the Security Council, but also a more broader UN reform. I have to admit that this is a very difficult process, because to a large extent the Security Council itself should be ready to reform itself. But that is certainly not the case today," he said.

The Security Council today has no decision-making power, because, for example, Russia, which itself carried out aggression, is a founding member of the council and the one that has a veto right. "This means that decisions that need to be taken simply cannot be taken," he said.

Today, the concept that the aggressor itself cannot participate in decision-making has been forgotten, even when it comes to genocide or other war crimes, Tsahkna said.

"In the Security Council, any member who has initiated a conflict or committed a crime should hold no veto power." In fact, Article 27(3) of the UN Charter already stipulates that a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting, but different parties to conflicts simply have different interpretations of these passages, he went on.

Also, the organization of the Council has to change. "It should be a better reflection of today's world, its structure and the composition of countries. In line with the UN Charter, the various regions and continents of the world must be represented, and – why not – small states could receive a quota."

During the debate, the Reform MP Urve Tiide asked what the chances were that such UN reforms could now happen fast.

Tsahkna said that change is possible because today it is not only Western democracies that are committed to a rules-based international order, but also an increasing number of global players are questioning the particularist political stance.

"I am not losing hope that we will act on this soon because this isn't only a problem for Europe, the democracies, and North America, but also for other continents, such as Africa. Last year at the UN General Assembly the vast majority of countries expressed great concern that the Security Council could not make important decisions," the minister said.

From Estonia's perspective, the UN has a very big role to play, precisely in mediating or resolving conflicts, also in humanitarian aid and assistance, Tsahkna said.

"If the UN is indecisive, then the death spiral is only increasing. But yes, it certainly won't be easy and I cannot say when exactly it will happen."

Estonia's position on the issue of reforming the UN, is that the next most obvious and easy step is to demand the mandate for the creation of a special international tribunal for Putin's acts of aggression.

"Even in such a clear case, there is not enough consensus today. And I think it would be a great, great victory if a sufficient number of member states would come forward and call for setting up of this special tribunal," he said. "It is a planned aggression that is being carried out right now, and this is actually an even greater challenge now than reforming the Security Council," the minister said.

In 2022, Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have demanded that Moscow immediately stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops.

In 2023, the emergency special session on Gaza was called up twice, both times after the United States vetoed Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

While the UN Security Council has a system of checks and balances for times when one of its founding members is using the veto, the right to veto is not written into the UN Charter itself and has been a contentious issue for decades.

In the aftermath of the October 7 attack on Israel, Indrek Kannik, the director of the International Center for Defense and Security, said that it is now even less likely that a two-state solution is possible. "Israel has not pursued a two-state solution in recent years, which is plainly evident by its West Bank settlement strategy," he said.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!