UN Security Council (UNSC) reform

Why in the News?

The recently ongoing General Assembly session of the UNSC saw voices for reform of the institution dominated by the political strategies of only five countries can called for reforms of the council.

Call for UNSC reform:

1. It was announced that the Security Council reform must be accomplished in time for the 50th anniversary of the world organisation in 1995, but failed even after 75^th anniversary of the organisation.
2. The five permanent members (P5) (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) enjoy veto powers over any Council resolution or decision, merely by virtue of having won a war 76 years ago. 

Agreement on diagnosis & not on prescription:

1. Agreed diagnosis:
   1. Security Council reflects the geopolitical realities of 1945 and not of today.
   2. Poor representation: Out of 193 member-states of the UN, and only 15 members of the Council (fewer than 8%) have membership in the UNSC. This comes after amendment to original Charter was in 1965 that expanded membership from 11 members to 15.
   3. Undue weightage to the balance of power
      1. For instance, Europe (excluding Russia), which accounts for only 5% of the world’s population, still controls 33% of the seats in any given year.
   4. Unjust for countries such as Japan and Germany whose financial contributions to the UN outweigh those of four of the P5 members 
      1. Japan and Germany are the second and third largest contributors to the UN budget for decades, but syill mentioned as ‘enemy states’ in the United Nations Charter.
      2. India, given its huge population size, share of the world economy, or contributions in kind to the UN (peacekeeping operations) has not been given an opportunity by the organisation.

Stances by countries

1. Small countries which constitute more than 50% the UN’s membership compete only occasionally for a 2-year non-permanent seat on the Council, as they accept the reality that reforms will not benefit them.
2. The medium-sized and large countries are for the reform of the membership of the Security Council as they wanted to break free of their current second-rank status in the world body.
3. Japan, Germany, Brazil and India have been demanding permanent membership in the UNSC.
4. US has endorsed increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent representatives, with permanent seats also to Africa [and] Latin America and the Caribbean.

Why bringing reforms in the UNSC is difficult?

1. Bar to amending the UN Charter has been set high
   1. It requires two-thirds majority of the overall membership (129 of the 193 states in the General Assembly) followed by ratification of two-thirds of the member states for bringing an amendment to the UN charter.
   2. Any opposition by any of the existing permanent five can halt the amendment procedure.
2. Obstacles that remain:
   1. Divergent member state positions on the acceptable size and terms of any expansion
   2. Disagreement over current veto provisions and their potential extension to any new permanent members
   3. Growing uncertainties whether just expansion of membership shall improve its functioning.
   4. Current trend of intensified geopolitical rivalry and deepening political polarization have made the prospects for updating the council appear dull.

The world body- UNSC has failed:

1. It has failed to act on Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
2. Russia has resorted to use veto to block resolutions on Ukraine, Mali, Syria and North Korea. 
3. The west has used such obstructionism to halt reforms in financial institutions established at Bretton Woods in 1944, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.