This Discussion Paper concludes that reforms regulating the use of veto as well as reforms increasing the number of non-permanent UNSC members must be prioritised.
The inefficacy of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to take a solid step in response to one of its permanent member’s breach of the UN Charter and international law led to dissatisfaction and increased calls for UNSC reform. The current reform calls must be evaluated with this historical background in mind. Considering this, this discussion paper, first, will evaluate the need for UNSC reform. Defining the UNSC’s role and assessing its success in fulfilling its role, the paper concludes that reform of the UNSC is necessary. Then, it will discuss the most popular reform proposals, namely the reforms regarding veto rights and UNSC membership structure. Considering the possible procedural obstacles specific to each reform proposal, and the advantages and disadvantages of a specific reform, it will list the reforms that need to be prioritised. Accordingly, the paper concludes that reforms regulating the use of veto as well as reforms increasing the number of non-permanent UNSC members must be prioritised.
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