The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is tasked with keeping global peace and security. It’s the only international group that can legally use force. Five permanent members make up the council. These are the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France. Each of these members, often referred to as the P5, has the veto power to single-handedly block any decision.
The Backdrop
- The UN was established in 1945 with 51 member countries.
- The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) initially included five permanent members (US, UK, France, Soviet Union, and China) and six non-permanent members.
- The non-permanent members were selected based on their contribution to international peace and geographical distribution.
- The initial distribution included two seats for Latin America, one each for East Europe, West Europe, the Middle East, and the British Commonwealth.
- In 1965, as the UN membership expanded to 117 states, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) amended the Charter.
- Resolution 1991 increased the number of non-permanent seats from six to ten and defined the geographical regions for seat distribution.
- These changes made the UNSC more representative and competitive, altering its functioning.
- However, the veto power of the P-5 remained, and the division between permanent and non-permanent members was preserved.
- This situation maintained the historic issue of inequality and imbalance within the Council.
- No further amendments to the Charter have taken place since 1965.
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The Question Of Equitable Representation
- For more than 30 years, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has been discussing ‘Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council’.
- The issue was first put before the General Assembly in 1979.
- Despite long debates, no conclusion has been reached yet.
- Over the past three decades, the world has changed significantly.
- The number of UN members has grown to 193 states.
- The need to make the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) more representative has become critical.
- To make this possible, the Security Council needs to include more representatives from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Small Island Developing States.
- In addition, the UNSC’s working methods and processes need to be adjusted to ensure the forum is more effective and results-driven.
Need For Change: Reforming The UN Security Council
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 once again highlighted the problem with the U.N. Security Council (UNSC).
- Russia, a permanent member, vetoed an 81-member-state resolution against its invasion, disrupting possible multilateral action.
- The resolution was in response to Russia’s breach of the U.N. Charter and international laws.
- This incident amplified the existing consensus for UNSC reform.
- Yet, achieving structural changes at the UNSC is challenging. Why? Because the current permanent members are reluctant to give up their advantageous positions.
- Calls for change are persistent, but tangible reform seems difficult to achieve.
Issues With The Structure Of The UNSC
- The current structure of the UNSC prevents it from effectively addressing key issues of war and peace.
- It fails to alleviate human suffering in conflicts where a permanent member is involved.
- The UNSC was deliberately designed to give disproportionate power to the World War II victors.
- This design sidelines regions and continents, especially those gaining independence post-1945.
- The structure allows for easy stalemates, with any permanent member (P5) having the authority to halt the council’s work.
UN Security Council Reflects The Geopolitical Realities Of 1945
- The United Nations (UN) currently has 193 member-states, but only 15 members in the Security Council. This means less than 8% of the states have representation in the Council.
- The original UN Charter has only been amended once, in 1965. That’s when the Council expanded from 11 to 15 members by adding non-permanent members.
- With this setup, a large number of countries don’t feel adequately represented in the Council.
- Furthermore, the Council’s composition reflects the power balance of the past rather than the present. For instance, Europe, home to only 5% of the world’s population, controls 33% of the Council’s seats, excluding Russia.
- This is an unfair situation. Countries like Japan and Germany contribute significantly more to the UN than four of the five permanent members, yet they are still referred to as ‘enemy states’ in the UN Charter.
- This structure also overlooks countries like India, which have significantly influenced world affairs due to their large population, economic contribution and participation in UN peacekeeping operations.
Three Factors Behind The Growing Momentum For UNSC Reform
- The global influence of countries like Brazil, India, Japan, and Germany is increasing. This is a key reason for UNSC reform.
- The current structure of the UNSC is another issue. Its five permanent members often disagree on major global peace issues. The Russia-Ukraine war is a recent example.
- Finally, there’s a demand for better representation in the UNSC. Currently, there’s no permanent representation from Africa, Latin America, or the Caribbean. Conversely, Europe holds two permanent seats.
Procedure To Expand The Security Council
- The expansion of the Security Council needs an amendment to the U.N. Charter.
- As per Article 108 of the Charter, approval from over two-thirds of the General Assembly members is required for this amendment.
- Following this, ratification by two-thirds of U.N. member nations’ legislatures, including those of the five permanent Security Council members, is essential.
- Changes to the Security Council’s membership mean revising the Charter’s Articles 23 and 27.
A Brief History Of Formal Reform
- In 1963, the General Assembly increased the number of non-permanent seats to 11 through Resolution 1991.
- This resolution also started grouping seats geographically.
- Elections were held for the states to compete for these seats.
- China voted in favour of the resolution, while France and the USSR were against it.
- The United States and United Kingdom chose to abstain.
- The changes were implemented in 1965 after the necessary ratifications were obtained.
- The Permanent Five (P5) kept their veto power even after this change.
- The increased membership and introduction of regional blocs altered the workings of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
- This major shift happened without any further amendments to the Charter.
Intergovernmental Negotiations
- The Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) were initiated unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2007. In 2008, the IGN unanimously identified five specific areas for discussion and progress. These areas include:
- Categories of membership
- Question of the veto
- Regional representation
- Size of the enlarged UNSC and its working methods
- Relationship between the UNSC and UNGA
- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously adopted a proposal in September 2015. The proposal aimed to develop consensus through negotiations using written contributions from 120 member states.
- However, the permanent five (P5) members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), especially China, strongly resisted this move.
- In 2022, Denmark and Qatar, as co-chairs of the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN), held five informal meetings during the 76th General Assembly session. They discussed all five clusters of issues.
- The co-chairs also organised “un-formal” conversations and reflections after detailed discussions. The aim was to find more common ground.
- Several groups within the IGN have different views on UNSC reform. These groups include the African Group, the Arab Group, Benelux, CARICOM, the Group of 4, the L69 Group, the Nordic Group, and the Uniting for Consensus Group.
- There is a general agreement among member states about the need to enlarge the Council. However, no consensus exists on the approach to achieving this.
- One proposal considered, in the absence of Council expansion, is to extend the term of elected members beyond the current two years. The proposal also includes allowing consecutive terms, currently not allowed by the Charter. This change would require a formal Charter amendment.
G-4 Countries
- The “G-4” countries include Brazil, Germany, Japan, and India.
- They are strong supporters of reform in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
- A meeting of the G-4 took place on September 21, 2023 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
- These countries have expressed concern about the UNSC’s declining effectiveness.
- They believe that the longer UNSC reform takes, the more it will impact the council’s effectiveness.
- The G-4 states that the failure of the UNSC to respond effectively and promptly to global challenges further emphasises the need for comprehensive reform.
- They argue that the UNSC should more accurately reflect the current geopolitical realities.
- A major concern for the G-4 is the lack of significant progress in the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN).
L-69
- The L-69 is a group composed of countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Pacific Island states.
- This group was instrumental in initiating the IGN process through a document they submitted in 2007-08.
- The L-69 has expressed their expectations for the IGN process on UNSC reform.
- These expectations include the start of negotiations based on a single, unified text.
- The goal of these negotiations is to produce tangible results within a set timeframe.
Evaluating The IGN Process
- The IGN process hasn’t yielded any significant results yet.
- Often misunderstood, the IGN doesn’t involve actual negotiations, only speeches by representatives.
- There are critical issues with the IGN’s structure and modes of operation:
- No text is utilised in the process.
- There’s a lack of an agreed-upon procedure.
- It does not operate under an accepted deadline.
- One major downfall is the absence of proper record-keeping. This hinders recognition and progression of any achieved progress.
Challenges In Amending The UN Charter
- One of the challenges lies in the fact that the threshold for amending the UN Charter has been set quite high.
- The amendment of the UN Charter is a complex process.
- A two-thirds majority, or 129 out of 193 member states, is needed for any amendment in the General Assembly.
- Notably, the amendment must be ratified by two-thirds of the member states.
- Ratification typically involves a parliamentary procedure.
- A successful amendment must win the support of two-thirds of UN member states and avoid opposition from any of the five permanent members.
- Fulfilling these requirements has proved to be a significant challenge.
Regional Power Dynamics And Rivalries Among Nations
- The Security Council needs updates to fit the 21st century’s second quarter.
- Several countries believe they deserve a Security Council seat. They see themselves as equal to at least three current permanent members.
- Many small countries, half of the UN’s members, are okay with the current format. They’re happy to occasionally fight for a two-year non-permanent seat.
- Medium-sized and large countries aren’t happy with this. They don’t like the idea of some countries advancing while they’re still second-rank in the world body.
- Additionally, numerous countries are driven by a spirit of competition, historical grievances, or even envy, openly obstructing any reform efforts aimed at reshaping the composition of the Security Council.
- India’s qualifications are apparent, but China is not willing to share its unique status as a solitary Asian permanent member.
- Pakistan, viewing itself as India’s strategic competitor in the subcontinent, is against India’s membership.
- Indonesia also seems to be uncomfortable with the thought of India gaining a seat.
- In Latin America, Brazil’s position is similar to India’s in Asia.
- However, Argentina and Mexico disagree, arguing that Brazil, a Portuguese-speaking nation, is not an accurate representative of predominantly Hispanic Latin America.
- Africa, with its 54 member-states, demands three permanent seats.
- The challenge lies in choosing between Nigeria, the continent’s largest democracy; South Africa, with its historically large economy; and Egypt, known for its ancient civilisation.
Persistent Deadlock
The Security Council is stuck in a constant state of disagreement, as showcased in the recent Ukraine conflict. A Council member invaded another member state, and the Council could not react. Russia has frequently vetoed resolutions on Ukraine, Mali, Syria, and North Korea.
The West has also blocked attempts to reform the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, established in 1944. Despite its issues, this global system is the only one uniting all countries. It would be detrimental to let it become irrelevant and ineffective. A change in approach is necessary to break the persistent deadlock in the Security Council.