The Need
For a Reform
The problem with UN's functionality and effectiveness encompasses an even deeper problem of global governance.
Why is UN Reform Necessary?
Seventy-seven years have passed since the establishment of the United Nations, but no change has been made in the five permanent members and the veto power. Despite the dynamic nature of the power balances in the international arena, it is clear that the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) do not reflect the changes in this balance of power. Security problems in the world now appear in a much different dimension than in the second half of the 20th century. While many factors such as developing technology, global warming, pandemics, cyber wars, scarcity of resources, irregular and mass migration movements and hybrid
wars pose regional and international security threats, they also bring to the forefront struggles over issues like energy and access to basic resources. In this framework, the need for reform in the UN Security Council has been among the topics of discussion for a long time. The basis of the need for reform is the necessity of establishing a common security system that will operate more effectively in line with ever-changing global requirements.
The changing nature of international problems highlights that it is inevitable that a structure designed according to the conditions of the world in 1945 needs a change to solve problems. The General Assembly, in which the UN members are represented as a whole, only gives advice under the shadow of the UNSC with limited representation, and in parallel, the views of the developing countries where the humanitarian security needs are quite intense, and the conflicts that require UNSC action arise are not represented adequately; these are some of the issues that must be addressed and corrected.
The UNSC does not reflect today's balance of power and geopolitical realities. Reforming the UNSC to be a democratic, representative, effective and responsible body is essential for the world peace. Each member state should have equal voting rights and sanction power, and the Security Council should become a more equal, fair, adequately representative, effective and responsible body.
Security Council-General Assembly Relationship and the Legitimacy Issue
Seventy-seven years have passed since the establishment of the United Nations, but no change has been made in the five permanent members and the veto power. Despite the dynamic nature of the power balances in the international arena, it is clear that the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) do not reflect the changes in this balance of power. Security problems in the world now appear in a much different dimension than in the second half of the 20th century. While many factors such as developing technology, global warming, pandemics, cyber wars, scarcity of resources, irregular and mass migration movements and hybrid
wars pose regional and international security threats, they also bring to the forefront struggles over issues like energy and access to basic resources. In this framework, the need for reform in the UN Security Council has been among the topics of discussion for a long time. The basis of the need for reform is the necessity of establishing a common security system that will operate more effectively in line with ever-changing global requirements.
The changing nature of international problems highlights that it is inevitable that a structure designed according to the conditions of the world in 1945 needs a change to solve problems. The General Assembly, in which the UN members are represented as a whole, only gives advice under the shadow of the UNSC with limited representation, and in parallel, the views of the developing countries where the humanitarian security needs are quite intense, and the conflicts that require UNSC action arise are not represented adequately; these are some of the issues that must be addressed and corrected.
The UNSC does not reflect today's balance of power and geopolitical realities. Reforming the UNSC to be a democratic, representative, effective and responsible body is essential for the world peace. Each member state should have equal voting rights and sanction power, and the Security Council should become a more equal, fair, adequately representative, effective and responsible body.
The Unjust Structure of the Veto System and the Security Council
One of the most important issues that cause injustice within the UN is the issue of veto. Building a system that can fulfil the check and balance function required in a modern legal system is an important element of the reform. The veto power of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council hinders consensus between these five states and other states.
The UN's Problem of Functionality and Effectiveness
To put it in numbers, 214 of the 2446 resolutions brought before the UN Security Council were vetoed. Of these vetoes, 122 were used by Russia, 82 by the USA, 29 by the UK, 16 by France and 17 by China. In other words, almost 10 per cent of the issues that came to the table were vetoed by one or more permanent members and remained inconclusive. This 10 per cent, in which the veto power is used, covers critical issues. The use of veto power as well as the threat of veto, prevented the UNSC from fulfilling its function. The fact that the five permanent members of the UN abstain due to the possibility that regional and global problems would directly or indirectly harm their interests, exercise their veto power, or threaten to do so, undermines the attainment of the desired global peace environment.
It has been observed that the five permanent members of the UNSC often use their voting preferences as a tool to advance their geopolitical interests. While the world as a whole was changing, the structure of the UNSC remained unchanged, and no means could be devised to prevent the permanent members with veto power from rendering the system dysfunctional on their own.
The dilemmas of the global system and the problems caused by international terrorism are not the only challenges facing the United Nations. The UN's problem of functionality and effectiveness involves an even deeper problem of global governance. As the problems of the global system grow, the UN continues to serve as one of the fundamental dynamics of global governance. All international organizations must contribute sufficiently to the development of effective global governance.
As a result, addressing issues such as injustice and dysfunction has become essential. For the solution to be effective, it is first necessary to establish a fair system for global peace and stability. The status quo, which persists strongly in the United Nations Security Council and is a relic of the bipolar world, cannot meet the present needs.