Former Foreign Minister Ambassador Nabil Fahmy stated that the current international system has become “unstable and dysfunctional,” failing to reflect the true balance of power in the world. He explained that the political structure on which the global system was founded after World War II is no longer suitable to address new challenges, and international institutions, especially the Security Council, are no longer able to fulfill their roles.

Fahmy added during his speech at the Maspero Cultural Salon, broadcast on Channel One Saturday evening, that the current international system is based on “a political deal made in 1945 among the victors of World War II,” but this deal collapsed with the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union. He noted that “the balance that prevented clashes between major powers disappeared, disrupting the political equation and related institutions.”

The former Foreign Minister said the Security Council has completely lost its effectiveness and has not been able to make a single positive decision in the past three years, even on urgent humanitarian issues like the ceasefire in Gaza, due to sharp differences between the United States, Russia, and China. He considered this failure “evidence of a real crisis in the international system.”

Fahmy clarified that the five permanent members of the Security Council no longer represent the current balance of power, stating: “Only three of these countries remain influential, while Britain and France are no longer among the world’s top five powers, which calls for a comprehensive review of the international system’s composition.”

He pointed out that recent years have seen blatant violations of international law by the major powers themselves, with excessive use of military force at the expense of diplomacy. He warned of an accelerating arms race among global powers amid China and the United States announcing the development of new weapons and advanced nuclear programs.

Regarding climate issues, Fahmy said that “the Middle East is the most affected region by climate change, especially concerning water scarcity and desertification,” emphasizing that addressing this issue requires international solutions, not just regional ones, as its effects transcend national borders.

He also highlighted the widening gap between industrialized Northern countries and developing Southern countries, both in technology production and the ability to manage international debt, affirming that “rising indebtedness threatens global economic stability and affects the balance of relations between countries.”

Fahmy then addressed the situation in the Middle East, saying the region suffers from chronic instability but sees limited signs of improvement. He explained that one of the main challenges is “the attempt to change the identity of the Middle East from an Arab-based region to one where Arabs are just one component among others,” describing this as “a dangerous trend coming from non-Arab powers in the region.”

The former Foreign Minister concluded his speech by stressing the need for the Arab world to take an active and proactive stance in facing international and regional transformations, instead of merely reacting. He emphasized that the current phase requires “a unified Arab strategy to restore balance to the region and confront upcoming global risks.”