Sri Lanka, Sept. 28 -- Singapore has called on the United Nations to rein in the rising use of veto powers by the five permanent members of the Security Council and pressed for reforms to make the organisation more inclusive.

Delivering the country's national statement at the UN General Assembly in New York on Sunday (Sep 28), Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said the veto is being deployed with growing frequency at a time of widening conflicts.

"The increasing, and if I may add, cynical use of vetoes by the P5 must be constrained," said Dr Balakrishnan, adding that the wider UN membership must reach an agreement on how this veto is exercised in the future.

"Just as the world has changed dramatically in the last 80 years, i...