The Veto Issue and the Unavoidable Need for Security Council Reform

The Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. The U.N. Charter assigned it the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and its decisions are legally binding for the entire membership. However, its current composition of 15 members, five of whom are permanent, is not representative of the 193 U.N. member States. This, together with the privileges of the permanent members, including the possibility of exercising a veto in decision-making, makes it imperative to reform the Security Council to ensure its representativeness, efficacy, and transparency so that it can fulfill its mandate.