The US supports adding two permanent seats for African countries to the UN Security Council and establishing a non-permanent seat for a tiny island developing nation.
During a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield reiterated President Joe Biden’s request to expand the 15-member council to properly reflect the global environment.
Currently, African countries have three non-permanent seats on the council, but Thomas-Greenfield believes this is insufficient. “It doesn’t allow African countries to fully deliver the benefit of their knowledge and voices,” she told me. “That’s why, in addition to non-permanent membership for African countries, the U.S. supports creating two permanent seats for Africa on the council.” She stressed that the action coincides with African nations’ interests and is about fairness.
However, the United States opposes granting veto power to the new permanent African members, a long-standing source of dispute. Thomas-Greenfield argues that the veto has made the Security Council “dysfunctional” and reduced its effectiveness in ensuring global peace and security. The stance illustrates the limits of Washington’s willingness to exert influence over other countries. While Security Council resolutions are legally enforceable, those targeted regularly disobey them.
Many nations think that the United Nations’ structure needs to be modified to better reflect the current world, nearly 80 years after its founding following World War II. However, how to achieve such reform remains a source of serious disagreement.
The Security Council’s organization has not changed since its inception in 1945. The organization now has ten rotating non-permanent members chosen for two-year terms and five permanent members (the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France) with veto power. The use of vetoes has paralyzed efforts to handle key global conflicts, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine and Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Efforts to reform the council began as early as 1979. In 2005, world leaders urged the council to be “more broadly representative, efficient, and transparent.” However, deep divisions continue to impede progress. In the same year, the United Nations General Assembly rejected three rival reform proposals. Any changes to the structure of the Security Council require approval from the General Assembly.
In September 2022, Biden supported increasing the number of permanent and non-permanent seats on the council. He specifically supported permanent seats for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as Germany, Japan, and India.
During her speech, Thomas-Greenfield made no mention of Biden’s previous vow for Latin America and the Caribbean, but a senior US official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the administration’s continued support for permanent seats in these regions, as well as Africa.
Responding to calls for more diverse participation on the council, Thomas-Greenfield declared the United States’ support for an additional rotating seat for small island developing countries. These 39 nations, with 65 million people spread across 1,000 islands, offer crucial insights into global security, especially about the impact of climate change.
“These 39 states are not homogeneous. But each has valuable insights into a variety of international peace and security concerns,” Thomas-Greenfield remarked. “That includes, notably, the impact of climate change.”
Looking ahead, the United States intends to write a resolution to overhaul the council. Thomas-Greenfield acknowledged the problems, including a lack of consensus among the UN’s 193 member nations.
“I am an optimist. “But I’m also a realist,” she explained. “And the reality is this: no amount of conversation will ever get us to a place of total consensus on this issue.”
While the road to reform may be long, the ambassador underscored that action is vital to move beyond the deadlock that has plagued the council for decades.