High School Security Council (Module 05)
Challenges of the UN Security Council Reform
The 4-1-1
There are many reasons we have not yet seen reform in the Security Council. This is not a complete
Challenges With the Process
Article 108 of the UN Charter states:
Amendments to the present Charter shall come into force for all Members of the United Nations when they have been adopted by a vote of two thirds of the members of the General Assembly and ratified in accordance with their respective constitutional processes by two thirds of the Members of the United Nations, including all the permanent members of the Security Council.
What does this mean?
In order to pass any reform of how the UN organizes (like UN Security Council reform) it would require two things:
- A two-thirds vote in
favor from the UN General Assembly. - All P5 members to also vote yes. Any no vote from a P5 member would veto the amendment.
From the perspective of the P5, they would be voting to diminish their own power.
While the P-5
Guiding Questions
- Think about what it is like to be a P5 member who has seen their soft power diminish. Why do you think they may want to hold on to the level of power in the SC they currently have?
- What other world politics can you see playing a part in the resistance of some P5 members to reform? (Think about world alliances and who would be on the SC).
Security Council Modules
Prepared by:
Nicole Wilsey Starr & Nancy J. Dunlavy for The Workable World Trust