Reforming the United Nations Security Council

Zusammenfassung

The Security Council of the United Nations (UN) has long been unable to effectively discharge its duties under the UN Charter to maintain international peace and security. Its composition is problematic; it has revealed itself to be entirely inappropriate in terms of democracy and representation and it no longer responds to power dynamics in the international community. The UN General Assembly recognises the problemas it stated in Decision 74/569 of 31 August 2020. And several UN members have grouped together to provide alternative proposals for a reform of the Security Council. This article evaluates the most relevant submissions to the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters Related to the Security Council and submits a hybrid proposal that, incorporating the more salient features from the rest, should - the article argues - garner the widest possible political acceptance by members.