Reforming the U.N. Security Council

            The United Nations, an international organization created after World War II on October 1945, was created to promote peace and international cooperation. Furthermore, as one could imagine, the countries that led the creation of such an organization were those who turned out to be on the winning outcome of the War. This resulted in the fact that they created a Charter clearly in their interests an awarded themselves “permanent” veto-wielding Security Council seats for themselves. However, the members who assumed permanent powers in this system reflect an antiquated structure of world leadership and power.

The first question to be answered is why this model of international governance should be reformed in the first place. Since 1945, geopolitics has changed drastically yet the Security Council has changed relatively little. The new world powers that have emerged and evolved over these past 7 decades now feel the need to have a spot at the negotiating table along with the original powers.

The proposal being put forth in continuation takes into account the 4 countries that have been popularly referred to as the G4, Japan, Germany, India, and Brazil. The economic and political influence of these countries has grown significantly in the last decades, reaching a scope comparable if not in surplus to those 5 countries, which are permanent members, United States, U.K., Russia, China, and France. In continuation I will briefly explain the situation for each of those nations individually.

Germany, for example, was left out of the original membership for having turned out on the losing side of World War II. However, as of today, they have made major reform and, along with the island nation of Japan, are now in the top three contributors to the United Nations’ annual budget. India, on the other hand, has its own reasons to be included in the permanent seats; they are now a nuclear power, they govern the world’s largest democracy, and are the second most populated nation in the globe. Finally, Brazil is the nation in Latin America with the most population, the largest landmass, and level of prosperity, which makes it a huge contender for a permanent seat in the Council.

The way to tie this proposal down is by looking at its high level of support by the very own countries that hold permanent seats today. The United Kingdom, France, and Russia have all publicly shown support for G4 members to be granted permanent seats. Furthermore, former U.S. Presidents such as George W. Bush have openly shown support for Japan to join the current members.

Security Council reform is not only viable and just but also necessary for this antiquated method of international governance. The United Nations has gained the trust of the international community for its democratic structure. It is time for the Security Council to adapt to the times and accept the emerging world powers to sit side by side to those powers who used to hold all the power in 1945. World War II is over, and along with it, the tensions that held the world in tense divisions, the integration of the new world powers will truly reform the United Nations into the organization it was always meant to be, the central for international cooperation.

-Kevin D. McClintock