Transform or die: the case for reforming the UN Security Council
AN ISSUES BRIEF IN PREPARATION FOR THE UN SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE 2024
DATE: JULY 2024
Author(s):
JOHN LANGMORE AM AND RAMESH THAKUR
Abstract
Ahead of the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024, this policy brief argues that reforming the UN Security Council (UNSC) is a vital step in improving its capacity to fulfil its responsibilities for maintaining international peace and security. An accessible and effective means of strengthening the Council’s democratic fairness would be enlarging the number of elected members to the mid-twenties, making some of them for four years, empowering them to run for election again when their term expires, and allocating the major increases to Africa, Asia and Latin America.
About the series
The UN Summit of the Future is planned for 22–23 September 2024. It will see Member States agree on a package of reforms summarised in an outcome document: the Pact for the Future, which is currently under negotiation. The University of Melbourne’s Initiative for Peacebuilding has prepared a series of policy briefs to stimulate discussion of key issues on the agenda for the Summit, with particular consideration to Australia’s role and responsibilities. Please click here for more information.