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The United Nations Security Council Reforms

The document discusses reforms to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The UNSC currently has 15 members, including 5 permanent members. However, its membership and veto powers no longer reflect the current geopolitical landscape. Reforms are needed to make the UNSC more representative and equitable, such as by adding permanent seats for underrepresented regions like Africa and expanding the number of total members. While there is majority support for reforms, consensus from the permanent members and a two-thirds majority of all UN members is required to amend the UN Charter and implement changes.

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Hafeefa Sultana
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571 views3 pages

The United Nations Security Council Reforms

The document discusses reforms to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The UNSC currently has 15 members, including 5 permanent members. However, its membership and veto powers no longer reflect the current geopolitical landscape. Reforms are needed to make the UNSC more representative and equitable, such as by adding permanent seats for underrepresented regions like Africa and expanding the number of total members. While there is majority support for reforms, consensus from the permanent members and a two-thirds majority of all UN members is required to amend the UN Charter and implement changes.

Uploaded by

Hafeefa Sultana
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The United Nations Security Council Reforms

About UNSC:

The UNSC (United Nations Security Council) is one of the 6 principal organs of the United Nations.

Composition:
The UNSC consists of 15 members among which 5 are permanent members and the rest 10 members are
non-permanent that serves for a term of two years. The five permanent members of the UNSC are United States
of America, Russia, the People's Republic of China, United Kingdom and France.

According to the rules of procedure, the General Assembly elects five non- permanent members of the
Security Council each year. In the session held in 1963, the Assembly decided upon a pattern to be followed for
electing the non-permanent members of the Council:

1. Five from African and Asian States;


2. One from Eastern European States;
3. Two from Latin American States;
4. Two from Western European and other States.

• As stipulated in the rules of procedure of United Nation, a retiring member of UNSC is not eligible for
immediate re-election.
• In accordance with the rules of procedure, the election is held by secret ballot and there are no
nominations.
• Under the rules of procedure of UN, the non-permanent members of the Security Council are elected by
a two-thirds majority.

Functions/Mandate of UNSC:

United Nations (UN) charter gives UNSC primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.

All members states of the United Nations have agreed to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security
Council. While other organs of the United Nations can only make recommendations to member states, whereas
the Security Council has the power to make decisions that member states are then obligated to implement under
the Charter.

The charter of UNSC promotes harmonious relationships among the member nations by maintaining
international security and peace. The UNSC can carry out investigations that threaten international peace and
can isolate and even expel a country at fault. It conducts peacekeeping operations around and resolve the
disputes among countries. India, as a UN member, sent its peacekeeping force IPKF in Sri Lanka in 1987 to end
the Civil War that engulfed the island nation.

Maintaining Peace and security

When a complaint concerning a threat to peace is brought before UNSC, the Council’s first action is usually to
recommend the parties try to reach an agreement by peaceful means. The Council may:

1. set forth principles for such an agreement;


2. undertake investigation and mediation, in some cases;
3. dispatch a mission
4. appoint special envoys; or
5. Request the Secretary-General to use his good offices to achieve a pacific settlement of the
dispute.
When there is a dispute leading to hostilities among countries, the UNSC’s primary objective is to bring them
to an end as soon as possible. In that case, the Council may:

1. Issue ceasefire directives that can help prevent an escalation of the conflict;
2. Dispatch military observers or a peacekeeping force to help reduce tensions, separate
opposing forces and establish a calm in which peaceful settlements may be sought.
Beyond this, UNSC may opt for the following enforcement measures:

1. economic sanctions, arms embargoes, financial penalties and restrictions, and travel bans;
2. severance of diplomatic relations;
3. blockade;
4. or even collective military action.
The main concern is to focus action on those responsible for the policies or practices condemned by the
international community, while minimizing the impact of the measures taken on other parts of the population
and economy.
India has been critical about the slow pace of UNSC reform process, saying the adoption of "opaque"
methodologies, non-attribution of assertions and "obfuscation" of references by the member countries is
blocking the early reform of the world body.

What constitute UNSC reforms?


Five sets of issues have been identified by the General Assembly. These are
1. Categories of membership
2. The question of the veto
3. Regional representation
4. Size of an enlarged Council and its working methods and
5. The Security Council-General Assembly relationship.

Why reforms are needed?


• Changing geopolitical situation: The Security Council's membership and working methods reflect a
bygone era. Though geopolitics have changed drastically, the UNSC has changed relatively little since
1945, when wartime victors crafted a Charter in their interest and awarded "permanent" veto- wielding
Council seats for themselves.
• Reforms Long Overdue: UNSC was expanded only once in 1963 to add 4 non-permanent members
to the council. Although the overall membership of the UN has increased from 113 to 193, but no
change in the composition of the UNSC happened.
• Inequitable economic and geographical representation: While Europe is over-represented, Asia is
underrepresented. Africa and South America have no representation at all.
• Crisis of legitimacy and credibility: Stalled reform agenda and various issues including its
Interventions in Libya and Syria in the name of responsibility have put the credibility of the
institution in jeopardy.
• North-South Divide: The permanent UNSC membership of portrays the big North-South divide in the
decision making of security measures. For instance, there is no permanent member from Africa, despite
the fact that 75% of its work is focused on Africa.
• Emerging issues: Issues such as deepening economic interdependence, worsening environmental
degradation, transnational threats also call for effective multilateral negotiations among the
countries based on consensus yet all critical decisions of the UNSC are still being taken by the
permanent members of the Security Council
India’s chances
The position taken by the G-4 (India, Germany, Japan and Brazil) and the L-69 group of developing countries over
UN reforms has the support of close to 110-115 countries out of 193 member states. This ensures a simple
majority at the UNGA for any reforms resolution but unfortunately the 1998 decision of the UNGA makes it
necessary to secure a special majority (129 votes) for these sorts of amendments to the UN charter. So India
should keep working towards weaning away countries to support its position over UN reforms.

India has displayed a great deal of flexibility to garner popular support. For example, India has expressed its
approval to withhold the exercising of the veto power by new permanent members up to a 15 year review
period.

India needs to obtain support at the UN for its initiatives by actively campaigning for core issues such as –
climate change, counter-terrorism, global finance etc. India has proposed a UN convention to combat terrorism;
India also plays an important role in climate change negotiations and is actively working to reform the Bretton
wood institutions (World Bank and IMF) are also outdated institutions established in the post-second world war
era.

India should watch out for conflicting interests within the UNGA such as the Coffee Club(prime movers of the club
include Italy, Spain, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Argentina and Pakistan) which could derail the process.

Way forward:
In the current circumstances, it has become crucial for the UNSC to reform itself and uphold its legitimacy and
representativeness in the world. However, for that to happen, political will, especially of P-5 nations and strong
consensus among all the nations is the need of the hour.

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