Why does the United Nations Security Council need to add more permanent members?

To keep global peace, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) plays an important role. But now its structure is not updated. It was created after WWII and does not fulfil the requirements of today’s world. In this age, ‌power is spreading among many nations. As the world becomes more multipolar and new global powers have emerged, so reforming the UNSC is necessary. 

Recently, the United States gave its suggestion that adding two African countries as a permanent member may change the situation. However, many powerful countries, such as China, the UK, Russia, and France strongly oppose this suggestion. This is because they want to keep in power and keep their strong influence. 

One of the major complexities is that the 5 permanent members have enough power to control the system. They have held power since 1945. 

The world has changed since then, with countries like Brazil, India, and South Africa becoming more influential. Africa, with over a billion people, still has no permanent voice on the council, which is unfair in today’s world.

United Nations and veto power

The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (P5) used their veto power and control system according to their own. This power leads to deadlocks because they use it to block many important decisions on important topics. This includes the Syrian War, the war in Ukraine, and humanitarian help. This is also the reason that the UNSC needs to change, as it struggles to keep its role as a peacekeeper.

As Africa is a strong nation across the world not only economically but also politically. According to the United States, if two African countries are added to UNSC permanent members, then they fix this imbalance. As the voice of this nation, is required to make important global decisions. 

African nations could offer valuable views on peace and security, as many conflicts impact the continent more. Possible candidates for these seats include Nigeria, South Africa, or Egypt, all of which play big roles in regional security. However, there are still challenges in making this idea a reality.

However, the current permanent members of the UNSC, like China and Russia, do not like this proposal. As China and Africa both have strong economic ties through the Belt and Road Initiative. For this reason, China does not want Africa to get a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. As it could reduce the influence of China in the region. 

According to China, adding Africa to the UNSC may threaten its objectives as China believes in a foreign policy of non-interference. Along with China, Russia also opposes ‌reform because it also has strong influences in regions like the Middle East and Eastern Europe. If Africa joins the UN permanently, Russia might not be as powerful. They may also not be able to stop a decision that goes against them. 

The UK and France might be more open to change but have concerns too. The UK has strong ties with Africa through the Commonwealth and France’s influences in West and Central Africa. Still, both may worry about losing power or making the council less efficient. Additionally, there have been calls to include countries like India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan due to their global importance.

One of the best ways to make the UN Security Council more representative of today’s global power is to add more members. But this addition could stop current members from blocking important decisions through veto power. Often, France wants to limit ‌veto power, such as in genocide. Because they argue that human rights come first. This idea gets great support from different UN members, but at the same time, Russia and China stand against this decision. 

 Another idea is to give permanent seats to regional groups, like the African Union. While this might solve some issues, it raises concerns about leadership and balancing regional and global needs.

However, it is challenging to reform the UNSC, but a gradual and practical approach might prove best. The Plan of the United States to add permanent members from Africa is a good start, but other regions should also be included. 

Changes to the veto system, like restrictions during humanitarian crises, should also be considered. Adding more non-permanent members by making their terms longer or giving them more say in decisions could make the UNSC more democratic while keeping it working.