Finland president calls for major reforms to UN Security Council News
Neptuul, CC By-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Finland president calls for major reforms to UN Security Council

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb on Wednesday called for significant changes in the UN Security Council (UNSC), including ending the single-seat veto power of permanent members and doubling the number of permanent seats. In an interview with Reuters, Stubb outlined his proposals and promised to join other voices on these issues at the upcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting next Tuesday.

By expanding the number of permanent seats in the UNSC to 10, Stubb advocated for more regional representation, particularly of global south states. His plan includes adding two permanent seats each for Africa and Asia, and one for Latin America. Stubb warned that if global south states “do not get agency in the system … they will turn their backs against the United Nations. And that we do not want.”

Stubb also called for the removal of Security Council members who engage in illegal wars, specifically citing Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. He emphasized the need for increased international support, such as lifting the restrictions on use of donated arms, for Ukraine’s resistance against Russian aggression.

Describing his proposals as “beyond what is usually said from small member states,” Stubb nevertheless expressed hope that other nations would support his ideas, encouraging more influential countries to take action.

Currently, the UNSC is made up of fifteen total seats, composed of 10 elected seats and five permanent members–China, France, Russia, the UK and the US. Each permanent member holds the power to unilaterally block (veto) substantive resolutions, which requires at least nine affirmative votes and no vetoes from the permanent members for passage. This high standard ensures legitimacy and support for passed UNSC resolutions but has often led to deadlock, undermining the Council’s ability to effectively intervene in conflicts when the interests of permanent members are affected. The veto power is a frequent point of contention, with the US and Russian recently using their vetoes in resolutions related to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, respectively. Stubb argued, “No single state should have veto power in the UN Security Council.”

Reforming the UNSC would require amending the UN Charter, as its current composition is outlined in this foundational document. Changes would necessitate the approval of at least two-thirds of the UNGA and all five permanent UNSC members, as outlined in Chapter 13 of the Charter.

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