The issue of reforming the United Nations Security Council, which is in practice the principal authority within the United Nations system, has returned forcefully to international discourse this year. Although it has always been present, it has never commanded the same level of attention.
Several African leaders, in their addresses before the UN General Assembly this year, stressed the importance and necessity of representing the African continent in proportion to its global weight, given that it comprises 54 states. Likewise, the BRICS summit held in India on the 12th and 13th of last month called in its final communiqué for structural reform of the Security Council, particularly through increased representation for developing countries.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was clear and unequivocal in his farewell address to the General Assembly, as his term ends at the close of this year, in emphasizing the need for comprehensive and integrated Security Council reform.
It is worth recalling that Guterres stated last year, during the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, that the organization had been "created by the victors" of World War II and that its legitimacy had become increasingly fragile as its role diminished amid global transformations, most notably the rise of new powers.
To address this reality, Guterres called for genuine representation that reflects today's global demographics and advocated granting permanent membership to Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The argument that international changes over the past eight decades, whether political, demographic, economic, or geographic, must be taken into account has become a central theme among those demanding meaningful rather than merely superficial reform.
Needless to say, the legitimacy and democratic principle of fair and realistic representation of these transformations are more than necessary conditions. However, they are not sufficient on their own to revive an effective role for the Security Council and, the United Nations and its various bodies and agencies, even if to differing degrees.
Three issues are consistently raised in discussions on this subject, albeit in different forms and forums, whether official, informal, or semi-official:
First, the question of permanent membership: increasing the number of permanent seats to better reflect the current international balance of power, as opposed to the realities prevailing at the organization's founding in 1945.
Second, regulating or restricting the use of the veto power in certain matters.
Third, making international representation more democratic in terms of regional representation and therefore more legitimate, so that it reflects the structure of the emerging global order, which has yet to fully stabilize despite profound changes in power distribution, sources of influence, and patterns of international relations. These new relationships are characterized by flexibility according to the issues at hand, unlike the rigid alignments of the Cold War or the "American moment" that emerged after the collapse of the previous order but ended relatively quickly.
What we are witnessing today is the birth of a new international system. It is important to remember that the continued decline or erosion of the United Nations' role across all its responsibilities, even if occurring at different speeds, will lead to greater instability, tension, and conflict around the world. Ultimately, everyone will bear the cost, albeit in different forms and at different times.
In conclusion, comprehensive reform of the Security Council, even if implemented gradually and despite the difficulties involved, is more than necessary. Such reform would strengthen the Council's international legitimacy and enhance its capacity to act, while taking into account the lessons of both the recent and distant past and the continuing need for an effective international role.
That role must be founded on clear principles and uniform, non-selective standards within a global order that is still taking shape. Without the development of clear and stable rules governing relations among its various actors, the world risks sliding into a state of disorder whose costs will be borne by all, even if unequally. The foundation for preventing such an outcome lies in reforming the international system as a whole, and especially the UN Security Council.
