The UN Security Council was designed to be the guardian of world peace, with member states pledging to accept and implement its decisions. It can be convened at short notice if a crisis situation requires rapid decisions, with the UN Secretary-General or any country able to draw attention to a threat of war or conflict. However, the Security Council is currently paralysed, especially on major issues of war and peace. A single permanent member state can veto a decision, as seen with Russia blocking resolutions defending Ukraine's rights.
Need for reform
The Security Council does not represent the world today, with Africa, Asia, and Latin America needing a stronger voice. UN member states are taking initiatives to reform and expand the Security Council. The UN Association of Finland commissioned an article on UN reforms from College of Europe Visiting Professor Antje Herrberg to open the debate.
The UN is a unique organisation, belonging to all its 193 member countries, each bringing its own way of working, ideas, and problems. Expectations are many and varied, and the rigidity of a huge organisation is frustrating.
"Shortcomings in multilateral institutions encourage many to seek solutions outside traditional international institutions – – creating a transactional world of disorder where size and power benefits a minority rather than the majority" President Alexander Stubb in the UN General Assembly in 2024
Finnish perspective
Stubb stressed the need for the UN more than ever, fearing that without wide-ranging reforms, the UN would remain on the periphery, with decisions on war and peace made by a small group of people driven by a ruthless need to stay in power. In a contribution to the Finnish UN Association, peace and conflict researcher Antje Herrberg, PhD, argues that reform of the Security Council is a necessity, as it has failed to act in the world's most pressing crises, including the war in Ukraine, the total destruction of Gaza, and the tragedy of the power struggle in Sudan.
Herrberg recalls that the UN Security Council was originally conceived as the leading actor in international cooperation and peacekeeping, but now it has become an obstacle, causing division within the UN and undermining the credibility of the world organisation. Finland is seeking a rotating seat on the Security Council, with Herrberg believing that Finland and the other Nordic countries have played a bigger role than their size in the UN, emphasising human rights and respect for common rules.
Proposals for Expansion
The UN Security Council has fifteen members, with the permanent members being the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and the United States. The other rotating members are elected by the UN General Assembly for a two-year term based on geographical representativeness. President Stubb proposed adding five new permanent members to the Security Council: two from Africa, two from Asia, and one from Latin America. Many countries have expressed their support for the expansion, while others prefer increasing the number of rotating members.
The desire of countries to join the Security Council creates competition, with relations between some countries strained by old disputes or the struggle for political leadership within the continent. The question of the veto of the permanent members is a major issue in the debate on reform. A "yes" vote by nine Security Council members is needed to adopt important resolutions, but a veto from even one permanent member can block it. President Stubb believes that no country should have a veto, as it paralyses decision-making.
Initiatives to reform the Security Council have begun to consider strengthening the role of the UN General Assembly, allowing it to exercise decision-making power if the Security Council is unable to act in a crisis situation. The Future Summit held in the margins of the UN General Assembly in 2024 was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to repair broken trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively address current challenges.
Future Directions
The UN does not solve the world's problems on behalf of its member countries but is a cooperative structure where it is ultimately the responsibility of all countries to produce and implement good solutions. The Finnish UN Association participated in the Future Conference and will follow the implementation of the decisions taken. The Future Conference has given impetus to a citizens' initiative to reform the UN Charter, seeking to update the UN's tasks and practices to meet today's challenges.
"The member states of the United Nations and their citizens collectively constitute the UN, and together we have the potential to transform it into a more effective and robust guardian of peace and development." Helena Laukko, Executive Director of the UN Association of Finland
The Finnish UN Association wants to enrich the dialogue on the UN's reform needs. Commissioned by the UN Alliance, Antje Herrberg's keynote speech sharply illustrates the current challenges facing the UN and provides food for thought for new contributions. Herrberg argues that strengthening the role of the UN General Assembly, including the Office of the Secretary-General, could help overcome the obstacles created by the stagnation of the Security Council. However, Herrberg stresses that the current problems of the UN will not be solved by simply adjusting the organisation; what is needed first and foremost is the political will of the member states.
The debate on reforming the UN will continue throughout the spring, with everyone invited to contribute to the reform of this major world organisation.
Link to the interview conducted with Mr. Olof Skoog in 2023. Link to Globalis.fi.
Globalis is an interactive database containing country information, statistics on human development, articles on current conflicts and information on the state of the world. The site is hosted by UN Association of Norway and maintained by the UN Association of Finland.