[New York Diary] Why Have They Raised the Issue of ‘UN Reform’?

Only President Biden Attends Among UNSC Permanent Members
UN Faces Criticism Over Its Diminished Role and Calls for Reform Grow Louder

"U.S. President Joe Biden is the only leader among the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) attending the UN General Assembly this year. How will President Biden leverage this situation?"

On the 18th (local time), a day before the opening of the UN General Assembly general debate, often called the 'Super Bowl of diplomacy,' this was the first question raised at a briefing held by John Kirby, White House National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, at the New York Foreign Press Center located across from the UN Headquarters.

Criticism that the UN's standing on the international stage is not what it used to be has surfaced from time to time in the past. However, this year, such 'UN redundancy theories' have struck the entire UN General Assembly, which should be the largest diplomatic stage for world leaders. As the first question at the foreign press briefing indicated, the current state of the UN is clearly reflected just by looking at the attendees.

The consecutive absences of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping vividly illustrate a world divided by the Ukraine war and U.S.-China tensions. It is also significant that even the permanent members of the Security Council, the United Kingdom and France, did not show up. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not even properly disclose the reason for his absence. India, which is not a permanent member but represents developing countries, also did not attend.

At the briefing, Coordinator Kirby responded diplomatically, "Whether the permanent members of the Security Council are here or not, what President Biden aims to do and the progress he seeks remain unchanged," but as the UN falls into a state of impotence unable to bring about any change or agreement, the United States, which has volunteered itself as the 'guardian of democracy' and 'world police,' also shows clear signs of difficulty.

Last year, despite Russia, a permanent member, committing an act of aggression in violation of the UN Charter, the Security Council failed even to adopt a resolution condemning it. The response to the recent summit between North Korea and Russia, who agreed on a 'strategic military alliance,' is no different. Even if additional Security Council meetings are held, empty-handed outcomes are expected again. This is why there is widespread evaluation that the Security Council has effectively lost its function. When asked about any punitive measures regarding North Korea and Russia violating multiple UN sanctions, Coordinator Kirby only replied, "We will continue discussions with UN partner countries."

Among these circumstances, what stands out is that voices calling for Security Council reform have grown louder than ever at this year’s UN General Assembly. Although Security Council reform has been a long-standing issue raised for decades, the current rise of UN redundancy theories has given more momentum to reform demands.

In his opening speech at the general debate, UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres stated, "The world has changed, but the UN has not," adding, "It is time to renew the UN to fit the economic landscape and political realities of the 21st century. This means reforming the Security Council." President Biden also officially supported expanding both permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council in his speech, saying, "No country can handle today’s challenges alone." The UN Security Council, established for international peace and security, is composed of five permanent members and ten non-permanent members.

However, there is a significant gap between agreeing on the need for such reform and realizing the restructuring. This is due to conflicting national interests. The core of UN Security Council reform lies in the veto power, but it is hardly easy for the permanent members, who effectively hold the 'absolute ring,' to voluntarily relinquish their power. The United States proposes increasing the number of permanent members to weaken the veto power of China and Russia, with whom it frequently clashes, but this could undermine the Security Council’s representativeness and sustainability. Controversy also arises over countries like Japan and Germany, former Axis powers, being mentioned as candidates for permanent membership.

The so-called 'Coffee Club,' which includes South Korea, advocates expanding the number of non-permanent members through regular voting rather than maintaining permanent status. This approach allows for the participation of various countries according to changes in the international situation and enhances flexibility and accountability. Coincidentally, South Korea’s term as a non-permanent member is about to begin soon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.