Reform of the United Nations Security Council: The Emperor Has No Clothes

Abstract

Although the United Nations General Assembly included the issue of the Security Council's reform on its agenda in 1992, the negotiations on this vital issue haven't broken the impasse even after a quarter of a century. At the same time we have testified to a series of major armed conflicts worldwide. This article emphasizes the need for an urgent reform of the Security Council, i.e. unacceptability of its further postponement, because the Council has largely failed in performing its main function – maintenance of international peace and security. Furthermore, the Security Council has no longer the necessary credibility, legitimacy and representativeness for the enactment and implementation of key decisions. The article analyzes key issues of the reform of the Security Council and proposes some possible solutions regarding the composition of the Council and the issue of veto. Finally, the article reviews the unsuccessful efforts to reform the Council with a special emphasis on the events on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations.

Keywords: United Nations, Security Council, reform

JEL Classification: K33