Reforming the United Nations Security Council

It is widely acknowledged that the UN Security Council needs to be reformed, principally by expansion of its membership, so that it may require the legitimacy, authority, political and financial support required for its activities, and its expanding responsibilities.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) was established 24 Oct 1945, in New York, by the Charter of the UN. It is one of the principal organs within the UN System, on which member states have conferred primary responsibility for maintaining peace and security. In accordance with an amendment to the Charter, in force since 31 Aug 1965, the Security Council was enlarged from 11 to 15 members, 5 of them permanent and 10 elected by the General Assembly for 2-year terms. The non-permanent members are not eligible for immediate re-election. The five permanent members of the Security Council are the USA, Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), China, UK, France), and were determined at establishment of the Security Council. There is widespread agreement that Germany and Japan are prime candidates for permanent membership. Other likely candidates include India, Brasil, Egypt or Nigeria.