UN Secretary-General says Security Council reform inevitable

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that reform of the Security Council’s structure is a necessity in order to align the UN’s decision-making body with the realities of today’s world.

The UN Security Council currently consists of five permanent members with veto power — the United States, China, the United Kingdom, France and Russia — as well as 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.

“Look at the Security Council. There are three members from Europe there. Three out of five (permanent members). Yet Europe does not represent three-fifths of the world’s countries,” Guterres said in an interview with the Financial Times published on Tuesday (25 August).

“It is clear that ultimately, the reality on the ground must be acknowledged. Therefore, the Security Council has no choice but to adapt,” he added.

Guterres also highlighted the urgency of aligning the Security Council’s membership structure with the current map of global power balances.

He assessed that this imbalance in representation is the reason why the body often fails to address various international problems.