CHAPTER-1

1.1. Introduction

Herbert Hoover, an American Politician who served as the 31st President of the
United States once said, “Peace is not made at the council table or by treaties,

but in the hearts of men”.

This quote can be quite relevant in the context of UNSC, especially to the
emerging problems like in Russia and Ukraine and many other conflicts where
the UN has failed to put up a united front failing largely to its own
shortcomings and also to the rise of the multipolar world which is certainly not
a vestige of the Post Cold war Era. There is an urgent need for the states to
cooperate to mitigate the threats associated with the emerging problem and
presenting to it a unified front which .

The global community had recognised the salience of battle tested institutions
and the need to provide an impetus to the nascent ones which could very well
be the forums of future virtual skirmishes .

This shows the gravity of the issue concerned with security in the present
world. With the pandemic, there have been restrictions on movements of the
major players in their quest to secure energy and other resources at the pace
they would love to dictate but at the same time these restrictions have increased
the dependence on regional forums where connectivity via the WFH model has
found takers at the highest offices of the land. With the nature of concerns
being transnational, various issues arise when there are any damages or
incidents. For example, in case of war crimes, jurisdiction plays an important
role, like where the perpetrator resides or where the damage occurs and in the
case of disputed regions like the Nagorno Karabakh and Kashmir the situation
becomes grimmer than is the norm.

1.1 Research Objective

The objective of this paper is Three-fold: firstly, the research aims to analyse
the institute of UNSC; Secondly, it aims to analyse post cold war era
 experiences of the institute; Thirdly, the research aims to signify the
importance of UNSC, even as the conflicts have a distinct hue from incidents
of the past but still retain their original flavour with the divisions still retaining
the original colour.

1.2 Statement of Problem

While most of the literature present in free access forums of yore is on the
concept of Security council, its successes and failures, there is very little
literature on the role played by various players in the global setting and the
impact of post cold war relations

Hence this paper tries to fill that gap in the literature which highlights the
aforementioned issues.It is hypothesised that the International and regional
organisations play a very pivotal role in enabling and enhancing the UNSC framework

1.3 Research Questions

The important research questions are - 1. What is the current geopolitical

situation prevailing in major strategic areas?

2. What is the need of Organisations in maintaining peace and security?

3. What is the role played by the Organisations in enhancing and enabling

international security?

To address these questions, the research will analyse the following critical Issues:

1. How did the evolution of International and regional organisations take place?

2. What is UNSC?

3. What is the need of UNSC?

4. What are the various International Organisations aiding UNSC?

5. How do the International Organisations play a key role in enhancing and

enabling the international security framework?
 6. What is the status of regional organisations in America, Europe and South
Asia in this security framework?

7. What are the laws covering such organisations and what are the principles
binding the states in co-operation among them?

1.4 Research Methodology

The research,owing to the pandemic induced inertia, is predominantly less

spade work intensive than the researcher would have desired. The researcher
employed empirical research and vastly depended on the descriptive analytical
method to answer the above questions. This research is aimed at analytically
examining the existing situation, challenges and determining the possible
reforms and strategies to overcome the issues The researcher mostly relied on
government reports, interviews by eminent personalities, journal articles,
online sources, monographs, scholarly writings, conference materials and
textbooks, reports and publications in attempting the research questions.

1.5 Scope of Research

With the evolution of global relations, the inter relations have also undergone
major changes. The interdependence of states has increased with the increase in
cross-border threats and crimes. This interdependence and cooperation is
assisted by the Organisations, both International and Regional. Therefore it is
important to note the relevance and importance of the same.

1.6 Research Plan

The researcher will achieve the objective by analysing the literature through the
following chapters -

1. Introduction UNSC

This chapter introduces the topic and also highlights the aim, scope and purpose of
research.
 2. History of UNSC

This chapter analyses the formation and evolution of UNSC.

3. It deals with the UNSC’s relations with regional organisations.

4. India and UNSC reforms

.
5. UNSC’s relations with each of the individual members
 CHAPTER - 2: UNSC an Introduction

“I firmly believe that the council should be reformed: it cannot continue as it is. The world
has changed and the UN should change and adapt. If we don’t change the council, we risk a
situation where the primacy of the council may be challenged by some of the new emerging
countries.”
-Kofi Annan, former Secretary General UN

Introduction:

UNSC or the United Nations Security Council is one of the most significant
institutions of the United Nations. The organisation showcases the importance
of strong nations in International politics. Some alliances like NATO are purely
formed for security purposes. While some alliances like SAARC are formed for
economic and social purposes. Over the years many institutions have been
formed and many have been broken for a variety of reasons. However, UNSC
continues to be an important part of International Relations.The United
Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one among the 6 major organs of the UN
and has been mandated with ensuring security and peace on a global
level,Apart from that it is also charged with making recommendations with
respect to the admission of new members to the UNGA, and amendments to
the UN charter.

The powers include :-

1.Peacekeeping operations
2.Enactment of international sanctions
3.Authorisation for any military action.
The UNSC has the authority to issue resolutions of binding nature on member
states.

UNSC was created,like the UN, as an institution to address the failings of the League of
Nations. It held its 1st session in the year 1946 but was paralysed to a large extent in the
following years by the Cold war between the US and Russia.1

1 Kennedy, Paul (2006). The Parliament of Man: The Past, Present, and Future of the United Nations. New
York: Random House.
The successes of the institution during these years are enumerated as follows:

1.Military operations in the Korean war during the 1950s

2.Congo Crisis

3.Peacekeeping missions in West New Guinea,Cyprus and Sinai Peninsula.

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to the UN efforts at peacekeeping increasing
exponentially with operations announced in Namibia,Cambodia,Kuwait,Bosnia etc.

UNSC is made up of 5 permanent members and 10 non permanent members,The five

permanent being the United Kingdom,Russia,China,France and the United States. The
powers that were the champions of World War II became permanent members. As Permanent
members they can block any resolution of substantive nature, which includes those dealing
with the inclusion of new member states to the United Nations or nomination to the office of
the Secretary-General. Also, there is no blocking right or the veto right in emergency special
sessions of the General Assembly. The other ten members are elected on a regional basis for
a term of two years. The body's presidency rotates monthly among its members.

Enforcement of the resolutions is by the UN peacekeepers consisting of the military forces

who are volunteers provided by states who are members and have independent funding of the
main UN budget. 2

History

Creation of the First international organisations was to enable countries cooperation on

specific issues. The ITU or the International Telegraph Union in 1865 and the Universal
Postal Union in 1874 were the first international organisations created. Even now both the
agencies have been accorded the status of specialised agencies of the United Nations.By
1899, the Hague Convention created the institute of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, an
organisation which was intergovernmental in nature and began functioning from 1902.

The precursor of the United Nations, the League of Nations, was created after the first world
war, and began functioning in 1919 as per the Treaty of Versailles.

The main organs of the League were:-

2 "DATA". United Nations Peacekeeping Retrieved 24 April 2022.

1.The Assembly

2.The Council

3.The Permanent Secretariat.

4.The Permanent Court of International Justice as per the Covenant

5.The International Labour Organisation which even now exists as a UN specialised agency
and was created as per the rules laid down by the Treaty of Versailles as an agency which
shared affiliation with the League. Apart from these there were other auxiliary agencies and
commissions.

Permanent Members

1.Russia

2.UK

3.US

4.China

5.France

Non-Permanent Members

1.Albania 2.Brazil

3.Gabon 4.Ghana

5.India 6.India

7.Ireland 8.Kenya

9.Norway 10.United Arab Emirates

 CHAPTER-3: Origins of the UNSC

The origin of the United Nations lies in a number of conferences and declarations made by
the victors of World War II.3

The sequence is as follows:

1.Declaration at St.James Place

The Declaration of St James's Palace, or London Declaration, was a joint statement which
was the first statement on goals and principles by the eventual victors during World War
II.This was issued after the 1st Meeting at St James's Palace in 1941.

Participants were:-

1.United Kingdom,Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa

2. The 8 exiled governments

Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland,

Yugoslavia

3. Free France.

Reinforced the Allies commitment to the cause against the Axis Nations (Germany and Italy)
and at the same time created principles which were to be the base of peace.

2.Atlantic Charter

The Atlantic Charter is a statement issued in 1941 that set forth American and British goals
for the world after the end of World War II. This joint statement brought to the fore following
goals of the allied nations

1.There was to be no territorial aggrandisement

2.self-determination

3 Tandon, Mahesh Prasad; Tandon, Rajesh (1989). Public International Law. Allahabad Law Agency. pp. xvii,
421.
3.Restoration of self-government for those who had been deprived of the same

4.Reduction in trade restrictions

5.Global co-operation in order to ensure economic and social conditions

6.Freedom from fear and want

7.Freedom of the seas

8.Abandonment of the use of force

9.Disarmament of aggressor nations.

The Declaration was signed by the adherents who would later form the United Nations in
1943.

In 2021 a new Atlantic charter was US and UK head of states.4

3.Declaration by United Nations

Known to have formalised the Allies of World War II, The declaration was signed by forty
seven governments. Ultimately became known as the basis for the UN charter.5

A pledge to uphold the previous Charter also known as the Atlantic Charter was taken, also a
decision was made to not engage with the Axis Powers for a peace deal as had been done
during the First World War by the Triple Entente as per the Unity Pact.

4.Moscow Conference (1943)

-Declarations of the 4 nations on General Security as the highlight,this charter was drafted by
the US.

4 "Biden, Johnson sign new Atlantic Charter on trade, defence amid Covid recovery". NBC News. Retrieved 10
June 2021.

5 Ma, Xiaohua (2003). The Sino-American alliance during World War II and the lifting of the Chinese
exclusion acts. American Studies International. Vol. 38. New York: Routledge. pp. 203–204. ISBN 0-415-
94028-1. JSTOR 41279769
5.Tehran Conference

-Better known by the codename “Eureka”.

-Stalin,Roosevelt and Churchill came together for the first time and Roosevelt put forth the
idea of the UN.

-Apart from this the other highlight was Russia’s entry into the pacific front.

6.Dumbarton Oaks Conference

-Washington Conversations on International Peace and Security Organisation,what

made the conference different from the previous one was the inclusion of China into the
fold.6

-Proposals for the establishment of an international organisation came up for the first time.

7.Yalta Conference

-was codenamed Argonaut

-main discussion point of the meeting being the reorganisation of axis powers post WW2

-Soviets,for the first time agreed to join the UN owing largely to an understanding reached
regarding veto power for permanent members.7

-Also included plans for the invasion of Japan.

8.UN Conference on International Organisation

-The United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNCIO), known as San

Francisco Conference, wass a convention of 50 Allied nations who had sent their delegates,in
1945 to San Francisco, California, United States.

- The delegates vetted the Dumbarton Oaks agreements of the previous year.

6 "1944-1945: Dumbarton Oaks and Yalta". www.un.org. 2015-08-26. Retrieved 2022-04-26.

7 Couzigou, Irène (October 2015). "Yalta Conference (1945)". Max Planck Encyclopaedia of Public
International Law [MPEPIL]: Rn. 13 – via Oxford Public International Law.
-The convention led to the creation of the United Nations Charter, which opened for signing
in June on the last day of the conference.

- "UN Plaza", square right adjacent to the Civic Centre commemorates the conference.

Cold War and UN

The Security Council was in a state of inertia in its early decades as the Cold War between
the US and USSR took much of its sheen and thus the Council generally was only able to
intervene in conflicts which were not of direct relation.8

A notable exception did come by and it was in 1950 that the Security Council resolution
which authorised an american led coalition to repel the North Korean invasion of South
Korea, passed in the absence of the USSR.9

In 1956, the first UN peacekeeping force participated to end the Suez canal Crisis.

However, the UN failed to intervene against the USSR's simultaneous attack on Hungary
following the revolution. Cold War divisions also slowed the Security Council's Military
Staff Committee, which under the mandate of Articles 45–47 of the UN Charter had been
empowered with the role of overseeing UN forces and creating UN military bases. The
committee continued to be a paper tiger but had largely let go of its work by the mid-1950s.

The United Nations Operation in the Congo (UNOC) in the 1960s,constituted the largest
military force it had mustered of its early decades,and had been handed the duty to restore
order to the breakaway State of Katanga, and successfully restored it to the control of the
DRC by 1964. However, the UNSC found itself being ignored in favour of direct negotiations
between the two superpowers when it came to some of the larger conflicts, notably the Cuban
Missile Crisis or even the Vietnam War.

The focus shifted on smaller skirmishes without an immediate Cold War connection, the
Security Council managed to deploy the United Nations TEA in West New Guinea by 1962
and the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus in 1964, the latter ended up becoming

Meisler, Stanley (1995). United Nations: The First Fifty Years. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press.pp 35
8
Meisler, Stanley (1995). United Nations: The First Fifty Years. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press.pp 58-59
9
one of the UN's longest-running missions.

By 1971, over US opposition, but with the help of many poor countries, along with the
Socialist People's Republic of Albania, the mainland, communist People's Republic of China
managed to get the Chinese seat on the UNSC and this was in place of the Republic of China;
the vote came at a time when signs of waning US influence in the organisation were there for
everyone to see.

With an increasing presence of third world countries and also the failure of UN led talks in
conflicts in the Middle East, Vietnam and Kashmir, the UN had in an increasing manner
managed to shift its attention to its largely secondary goals of economic development and
cultural exchange. By the 1970s, the UN budget for its social and economic development
exceeded its budget for peacekeeping operations.
 CHAPTER-4: Post Cold War Era

The End of the Cold War at the UN

How did the changes in the Council in the post–Cold War era come about?

The Council viewed its role as prevention of a third world war. As the Cold War came to
define politics in a global sense,even the Council saw an opportunity to handle prevention of
regional conflicts (often indirect and between the proxy states of the superpowers) from
spilling into a global conflict.

In this regard the Council has made a strong stand several times. An important signal of the
decisive unfreezing of the Cold War relations was a discernible change in the climate among
the permanent five (P-5) members of the UN Security Council by1986.

The first signs of the relaxation in East-West tensions within the Security Council was the
coordination and cordial manner in which these countries discussed options for the position
of UN SG as Javier Pérez de Cuéllar’s first term ended in 1986.

In late 1986, the UK permanent representative to the UN, undertook the initiative to call
together the P-5 diplomats, at his residence way away from UN HQ and delegation offices,
for a discussion on how they could end the murderous Gulf War. The others ,apart from
China which apparently remained reserved over P-5 activism, welcomed the decision.

A system of regular P-5 meetings soon became the norm. The meetings helped in anticipating
and defusing conflicts among the P-5 and at the same time allowed them in their pursuit to
exchange notes on their national positions as well as to respect various crises of the hour, if
not in a formal manner while they coordinate their positions. As things evolved, the P-5
agreed without many hurdles on the extension of a second term for the incumbent, who in
1987 challenged them in the public sphere to resolve the Iran-Iraq War.

In 1987, Security Council proposals for a cease-fire which were being monitored by a small
UN observer mission, were taking serious strides in the right direction and thus the post–Cold
War era, had started at the UN.
Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev’s much touted Pravda and Izvestia article of
1987, sought “wider use of . . . the institution of UN military observers and UN peacekeeping
forces in disengaging the troops of warring sides, observing cease-fires and armistice
agreements,” and had called for the P-5 to become keepers of international security.

However, P-5 cooperation took some time to gain a foothold.

1988 and late 1989 saw establishment of five peacekeeping operations

1. Afghanistan (UNGOMAP)

2.Iran and Iraq (UNIIMOG)

3.Withdrawal of Cuban troops in Angola (UNAVEM I)

4.For Namibia (UNTAG)

5.Central America (ONUCA).

While the commencement of the Cold War had in a way unlocked the UNSC’s potential to
contribute to the deliverance from serious issues of international security, the Council’s
remained overtly careful in the later years preceding the first gulf war.

History

In the UNSC, the Cold War ended in 1986 when the concern regarding the second tenure of
Secretary General Cu´ellar’s term came up.

Soon the UK Diplomats invited the P5 to informal negotiations outside of the UNHQ in
hopes of coming up with a possible solution to the Iran-Iraq War. Free from formalities often
encountered in workplace settings, the delegates found a free flowing discussion amongst
themselves to be highly productive, and thus got the authorisation of an observer force and
proposed a ceasefire. USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s address to the UNGA introduced
new faith in this council when the premier came to the understanding that the soviet union
would function under the aegis of the UN to handle international conflicts. This was an
implicit approval that the Soviets would not be overextending commitments and marked the
end of the cold war.

The Soviet magnanimity was in turn reciprocated by the US with cooperation in peace
initiatives in Angola, Namibia, Cambodia, and Central America, which had been sites of
major proxy conflicts.10 The Security Council thus set the stage for the end of the Cold War
before the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union.

A major trend followed the increase in cooperation among the members which includes the
decline of veto use among the P5. During the Cold War, the use of the veto was predictable.
One side would go for a draft resolution that was expected to be vetoed by the opposing side.
The veto thus became a propaganda tool as sides accumulated political brownie points for
their position on different resolutions.

After the end of the Cold War, however, trends changed and forcing any fellow council
country to vote at a specific resolution with their own bias came to be viewed as
“irresponsible.” While voting in a partisan manner still exists among the P5 on certain issues
(e.g. Syria, Ukraine, Libya) member states have in the long run become more free and careful
in the way they wield this vote.

For the first 50 years of UNSC, the veto was used a total of 244 times (With 30% of the use
by the US and almost 50% by the USSR. 11 The major veto issues have been Cold War (31
from 1996-2014) or they relate to issues concerning one member (e.g. Israel/Palestine for the
US and Taiwan for China) who will predictably wield its veto alone. The recent deadlocks
among the P5 have been with respect to Syria, Libya and Ukraine and oftentimes obscure the
overall trend of an otherwise high rate of cooperation among the P5. Former Under-Secretary
General David Malone has argued that often one forgets that the council agrees on at least
90% of the issues put forth.

In 2014 alone, the UNSC passed 97% of the resolutions unanimously. Cooperation among
the P5 members of the SC has since the late 1980s resulted in a delegation of tasks and
prestige in a manner once given to the General Assembly and the Secretariat and now

While it was created as a means to prevent further Soviet vetoes regarding the Korean War, the resolution
10
was first invoked during the Suez crisis where France and the UK had blocked any action regarding the crisis.
The measure was last invoked in 1981 to authorise economic and diplomatic sanctions on South Africa for its
illegal occupation of Namibia

11 Global Policy Forum, 2015

favouring the UNSC. At the time of the Cold War, the UNGA overshadowed the UNSC and
at times even involved itself in security affairs which is a role fit for the UNSC.

In 1950, Resolution 337A: “Uniting for Peace” was passed which allows the UNGA to
consider resolutions that were blocked by the UNSC owing to a lack of unanimity among the
P5, and act accordingly.With the resumption of duties by the UNSC the UNGA has lost
influence and attention. The role of the Secretary-General has also decreased since the Cold
War. In the 1950s, UNSG Dag Hammarskold played a pivotal role in mediation of global
conflicts making full use of Article 99 of the Charter:

In the post-Cold War period, the agenda for the UNSC isn’t longer set by the Secretariat, but
by the UNSC members. The Secretariat has had a strain on resources, which has allowed the
Council to assume a more active role in implementing resolutions, a task in a usual way of
functioning reserved for the Secretary General.

There has also been a major shift in daily functioning of the Council. Since the Cold War,
the P5 has been dominant in drafting sessions and decisions which are often made behind
closed doors under informal conditions among the P5. This only works at giving wind to the
sentiment among the non permanent 10 and UN members that the UNSC is an exclusive club
run by permanent members.

The argument by the non permanent 10 is that the human rights disasters in Yugoslavia and
Rwanda are largely due to the fact that the Permanent 5 did not share any information with
regard to the conflicts with the other members. This has led to the “Arria formula” meetings,
in which NGO and many human rights investigators brief the council. This NGO presence
and lobbying by UNSC members has now become a common feature.

With greater cooperation between the Permanent five has come up with more innovative
forms of conflict resolution such as the

1.Creation of tribunals in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Lebanon

2.Establishment of the ICC

The role of the UNSC has changed and transformed into more of a delegating body rather
than that of an enforcing power when it comes to peacekeeping. Although Chapter VII
resolutions have multiplied after the end of the Cold War, this has been mirrored by an
increasing failure at effective follow up with enforcement operations.This is owing to:-
1.Lack of funding with the UN

2.Military force which is inadequate and unable to handle the nature of internal conflicts

3.Risk-averse member states.

UNSC peacekeeping failures at Bosnia and Rwanda led to the end of unilateral operations by
the UN12. Now the UNSC began delegating the enforcement operations to NATO, African
Union, Arab League and other such regional groups. Also instead of actively enforcing
world peace and security envisaged in the UN Charter, the UNSC has become adept at
passing the buck.13

This active engagement in “buck-passing,” has aided the UNSC in its attempts to gain
immunity while going for cost minimisation. Thus, while UNSC benefits from unseen rates
of cooperation and effective management, the rise of the Permanent five has at the same time
diminished the role of other UN bodies and minimised its own role as the only leader of
peace and security in the world even as the complex nature of future conflicts calls for large
scale burden sharing.

CHAPTER-5: UNSC REFORM IN A POST-COLD WAR ERA

SC-sanctioned “safe zones” were unable to prevent the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and an
12
intentionally weakened force in Rwanda was not empowered to stop the genocide.
“Buck-passing” refers to a realist conception of strategies states employ in a multipolar world in order to
13
contain a rising hegemon. John Mearshimer argues that when rising states do not share a border with great
powers, the tendency to “buck-pass” increases, as the perceived threat is not as great.(Mearsheimer, 2010)
ELIMINATING THE POWER OF VETO

What is the need for reform? From the time of its founding in 1945 the security council has
always had to face doubts. The call for UNSC reform gained ground with the start of the Cold
War because as earlier stated this marked the new world order. Essentially it means that the
world and the countries that comprise it live in a world dissimilar from 1945. As such, the
requirements of nations have undergone a sea change, which has caused them to want
International Organisations like the UNSC, to evolve and become more representative of
their new agendas.

Thus, this portion of the dissertation will focus on three major reasons cited by member states
to justify the need for UNSC reforms

1. Power

The Post-Cold War era has brought many rapid changes to the international order with one of
the most important changes being in reference to the distribution of world power. Firstly, the
most evident shift of power has been the fall of the Soviet Union.

- The fall of the Soviet Union paved way for the end of rivalry with the United States

-The end of bipolarity gave rise to two new concepts of unipolarity and multipolarity. -
Unipolar because as the victorious party of the Cold War the US has proceeded to become an
unrivalled hegemonic state which has been reflected in American supremacy in various fields
like the defence, global politics and world economy.

. Therefore, keepin this context in mind it is important that any reform the UNSC undergoes
has the support, for better or for worse, of the American delegation.

-The second major change which has been caused by the fall of the USSR has been the
emergence of multi-polarity which is a two-sided coin.

Multipolarity reflects the rise in power of developing nations.Thee G4 (Germany, Japan,

India & Brazil), are often categorised as “middle powers” which have over the course of time
rapidly jumped the global hierarchy to become more influential on the international stage.
The increase in power of the G4 states brings into question whether the Security Council is a
true reflection of power. Realism and neoliberal institutionalism have recognized the
influencing power of power itself on the international system with the minor difference that it
power is not viewed as an impediment in international cooperation.

Instead, neo-liberal institutionalists have viewed power as a tool to be utilised by states that
can help with negotiations. Also,since political finance has a major influence on state
behaviour, in which states are likely to coordinate in order to ensure financial gain, in this
section it will be seen that states can also act, cooperate with each other to protect
investments.

If the Security Council is going to successfully deal with international security, it will require
resources, resources that only powerful nations possess 14.

It is quite interesting to see that states that do not have the largest standing military force are
the ones which sustain the UN’s peacekeeping ability.

This indicates that the resources being donned on the UNSC do not reflect the world’s current
division of power. On the contrary, it is very often the countries with the least amount of
power who are contributing the most, an imbalance which has these contributory states
constantly asking the question about their continued military support of the International
Organisation.

Also Apart from being a military power, a critical form of authority in the Security Council
has been political clout.

2. Political Power :The UNSC is a political body and the most often used way to exert
influence within the organisation is through politics.

The UNSCs most charming feature is often the nature of its decisions for all of its members
which is more of a binding one in the truest sense of the word.

However, this has been contradicted by the limited membership of the Organ and also the fact
that the veto power remains concentrated in Council leads to power with a few states 15The
non-permanent members of the Council have constantly seen the benefit in communal
cooperation especially when it concerns counterbalancing the setup of power of the P-5.

14 Snyder, R. (1997). REFORMING THE SECURITY COUNCIL FOR THE POST-COLD WAR WORLD.
International Journal on World Peace, 14(1), 3.
15 Mahmood, F. (2013). Power versus the sovereign equality of states: The veto, the P-5 and United Nations
Security Council reforms. Perceptions, 18(4), 117.
The Non-Permanent members have benefited with the use of political ingenuity and have
managed to increase their power in the organisation. For Instance,before the end of the Cold
War, the non-permanent members made use of politics to play both superpowers one against
the other. In order to increase their own power and that of the NAM, many third world states
have become fixers who are serving as buffers making cooperation possible.16

The NAM movement aimed at collective action and strived to counterbalance

economic,military and social shortcomings.17 The states forming the NAM movement are
representative of more than 3/4th of the world population with their primary objective being
the promotion of cooperation to enhance economic and trade policies.As a whole, NAM
movement has an important role to play in the politics within the Security Council.Only
through the use of diplomacy and negotiation with minimal political pressure can states
proceed with matters of individual interest at the Council’s agenda.

Since the UNSC has required collective action in order to function and often member states
may not have the same priorities, the ability to politically manoeuvre within the decision-
making and eliminating the Power of Veto process remains fundamental. As the P-5 uses the
power of veto as a negotiation tool, it becomes crucial for the non-permanent members to
cooperate in order to have at minimum a control in power of numbers over their permanent
counterparts.

Lastly, political power has also served as a method of the UNSC to exert pressure as a whole.
Because the UNSC enjoys the support of powerful nations in the world it automatically
grants an extra layer to enactments concerning political clout. For example if the UNSC were
to impose sanctions on a poor nation, the country will likely adhere to the decision because of
the knowledge that the UNSC has the backing of political strength, and non-compliance
would have severe repercussions. This political power does grant the security council a
somewhat greater sense of global authority with the reduction of the likelihood of non-
compliance

16 Malone, David M. (2003). The Security Council in the post-Cold War era: A study in the creative
interpretation of the U.N. Charter. (International Law and Justice in the TwentyFirst Century: The Enduring
Contributions of Thomas M. Franck). New York University Journal of International Law and Politics, 35(2),
487-517.
17 Moritan, Roberto Garcia. (1992). The developing world and the new world order. (post-Cold War era). The
Washington Quarterly, 15(4), 149.