Publication

Efforts are underway to make the UN Security Council more representative, legitimate, and efficient. However, the reform project is blocked by disagreements, regional rivalries, and institutional obstacles. A loss of legitimacy is increasingly likely. Small and medium-sized states in particular have an interest in strengthening the UN’s comprehensive multilateralism and thus pre-empting tendencies towards unilateralism or ad-hoc coalitions. Unblocking reform demands that all sides display willingness to compromise. It is important that the reform goals not be watered down in the process.