UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States said Thursday it will support adding two new permanent seats for African nations. About the Strong UN Security Council – And the first ever non-permanent seat for a small island developing state.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the announcement in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, describing it as a follow-up to US President Joe Biden's announcement two years ago that the United States supports expanding the 15-member council.
Although Africa has three non-permanent seats on the Security Council, that does not allow African countries to “make full use of their knowledge and voices,” she said.
“That is why, in addition to non-permanent membership for African countries, the United States supports the creation of two permanent seats for Africa on the Council,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “This is what our African partners are seeking, and we believe it is just.”
But Thomas-Greenfield later said Washington opposed giving veto power to African countries that would occupy the two permanent seats because veto power would make the Security Council's work “ineffective.”
This view illustrates the limits of how much power Washington is willing to give to any other state. Although Security Council resolutions are legally binding, they are often ignored by the targeted states.
Almost all countries agree that, nearly eight decades after the United Nations was created in the aftermath of World War II, the Security Council should be expanded to reflect the world of the twenty-first century and include more voices. But the central question – and one that remains open – is: Should the Security Council manage its own affairs? The biggest controversy – still over how – To do that.
The Security Council, responsible for maintaining international peace and security, has not changed from its composition of 1945: 10 non-permanent members from all regions of the world elected for two-year terms without veto power, and five countries that were dominant powers at the end of World War II are permanent members with veto power: the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.
For example, Russia’s veto power has blocked any council action on the war in Ukraine, and US support for its ally Israel has limited the council’s response to the war in Ukraine. War in Gaza.
Attempts to reform the Council to reflect the changing world began in 1979.
In 2005, world leaders called for the council to be “more representative, efficient and transparent.” That year, the General Assembly, which must approve any reforms to the council, postponed three competing resolutions to expand its membership, reflecting deep divisions that persist to this day.
In September 2022, Biden called for an increase in the number of permanent and non-permanent members, including “permanent seats for those countries that we have long supported, Permanent seats for countries in Africa“Latin America and the Caribbean.” The United States has long supported permanent seats for Germany, Japan, and India.
Thomas-Greenfield did not mention anything about Biden's other pledge regarding permanent seats for countries in Latin America and the CaribbeanBut a senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief reporters ahead of the announcement, said the United States still supports permanent seats for Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Africa.
In response to countries claiming that it is time for the United Nations to look beyond mere regional representation, the US ambassador also announced that the United States supports the creation of an additional rotating seat for small island developing states.
“These 39 countries are not a monolith. They are home to 65 million people, across more than 1,000 islands. But each has critical visions on a range of international peace and security issues including, in particular, the impact of climate change,” she added.
Thomas-Greenfield said the United States plans to “put our principles on paper” and draft a resolution to reform the council.
Some countries say that before a resolution can be negotiated, “all 193 member states must agree on what a reformed council should look like.”
“I am an optimist, but I am also a realist. The reality is that no amount of dialogue will ever get us to a place of complete consensus on this issue,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
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Associated Press reporter Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report from New York.
