UN Security Council reform back in the limelight

Following a meeting of the G4 group between German chancellor Angela Merkel with her counterparts from Brazil, India and Japan on 26 September 2015, a call was made for a rapid reform of the United Nations's Security Council.

According to a joint statement, the Council needed to be better represented and to work more efficiently in order to solve the challenges of the twenty-first century.

On the UN Security Council, only the five victorious powers of World War II have permanent seats with veto power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the USA. There are also ten non-permanent members that alternate every two years. These members are not granted a veto.

The Council is able to approve internationally binding military intervention and sanctions. The G4 group, along with other countries, have long argued in favour of reform and the expansion of the number of permanent members.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Reform of the UN Security Council http://www.europeansources.info/record/reform-of-the-un-security-council/

NDTV, 27.09.15: Full Text of Joint Statement of G4 Summit http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/full-text-of-joint-statement-of-g4-summit-1223257

The Guardian, 23.09.15: UN security council must be revamped or risk irrelevance, Kofi Annan warns http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/23/un-security-council-must-be-revamped-or-risk-irrelevance-kofi-annan-warns

Japan Times, 24.09.15: Japan gears up for fresh U.N. Security Council reform push http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/09/24/national/politics-diplomacy/japan-gears-fresh-u-n-security-council-reform-push/#.VgkpsitH5-c

The Guardian, 23.09.15: Russian vetoes are putting UN security council's legitimacy at risk, says US http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/23/russian-vetoes-putting-un-security-council-legitimacy-at-risk-says-us

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