Reform Negotiations: U.N. Security Council

STORY:
Negotiations by the world's nations over whether the U.N. Security Council should expand from its existing membership of 15 states are underway.

About 70 countries from all continents were invited to attend the talks, chaired by Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini.

The numerous government representatives attending included the foreign ministers of Spain, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Croatia, Tunisia, Libya and Argentina, and the deputy foreign ministers of the Chinese regime, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Uganda, Bulgaria, Korea and Mozambique.

Most countries agree that the Security Council's membership which largely reflects the balance of power shortly after World War Two, needs to be enlarged to reflect present-day realities.

The Council, the powerhouse of the United Nations with the ability to impose sanctions and dispatch peacekeeping forces, has five permanent veto-holding members -- the United States, Russia, Britain, France and the Chinese regime.

It also has ten members elected on a regional basis who serve two-year terms.

They have no veto. The number of temporary members was expanded from six to ten countries in 1965.

Many diplomats believe there will be no quick outcome to the negotiations, due to regional rivalries and a reluctance by some of the bigger powers to have their power diluted.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Ntd
• NTDTV
• news
• Reform
• U.N.
• Security
• Council
• Spain
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Pakistan
• Croatia
• Tunisia
• Libya
• Argentina
• China
• Russia

[Phead128]

@TheVoiceOfReason93

The entire premise of UNSC is that the major victors of WW2 got to carve up the world into their own security spheres of influence. If it was based on majority, then Western countries would not have the authority from the UN to invade anyone. The smaller, yet more numerous countries will simply challenge it, and win :D

[TheVoiceOfReason93]

The UN Security Council should reform so that one nation's vote would not veto a decision supported by the majority of the Council's members. Divide the veto power by half, or make the veto a matter of majority, so that it would take at least 3 or more nations agreeing with one another before a decision, such as setting up a no-fly zone over Libya, would not be vetoed so easily