UN chief calls for Security Council reform to boost legitimacy

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has publicly declared that the UN Security Council suffers from a significant "problem of legitimacy," arguing its current structure is outdated and unrepresentative of the modern world. His comments, made in Malaysia during a regional summit, add significant weight to long-standing calls for reform of the powerful international body.

An Outdated Global Architecture

Guterres explicitly stated that the council's composition "no longer corresponds to the reality of today's world." He highlighted the geographic imbalance, noting there are three European permanent members but only one from Asia, with no permanent representation from either Africa or Latin America. "This shows that the Security Council also doesn't correspond at all to the world of today," he asserted during the news conference.

Proposed Reforms for Representation

To address this legitimacy deficit, the UN chief advocated for specific changes to the council's membership. He called for the addition of two permanent members from Africa and an increase in permanent representation from Asia. This expansion, he suggested, is crucial for the body to accurately reflect the current global distribution of power and population.

The Veto Power and Effectiveness

Guterres identified a second major problem concerning the council's "effectiveness," which he directly linked to the veto power held by its five permanent members. He noted that two of those members, France and the United Kingdom, have themselves put forward proposals to voluntarily limit the use of the veto in certain circumstances. Guterres urged all council members to "seriously consider" these proposals to improve the body's ability to take action.