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Saudi Arabia Turns Down UN Security Council Spot

Saudi Arabia has turned down a spot on the United Nations Security Council because of what it called double standards that are hampering the body's effectiveness.

The Saudi foreign ministry said Friday that it will not join the 15-member Security Council until unspecified reforms are undertaken to allow the council to carry out its responsibilities to preserve the world's peace and security.


In its statement Friday, the Saudi foreign ministry blasted the council for failing to pass resolutions to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his role in the country's bloody, two-and-a-half-year civil war. Russia and China, both permanent members of the council, have vetoed such resolutions three times.






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