UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: THEMATIC FUTURES

This research paper proposes a structural reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to align it with modern representative norms, introducing a tiered membership system based on 'Global Power' criteria and proportional election via the General Assembly.

• The proposal suggests a new membership structure where most members are elected by the General Assembly based on a 'one country, one vote' norm, provided they meet four technical requirements: experience and capacity in peace and security, financial good standing with the UN, willingness to increase financial contributions, and respect for human rights and the rule of law.
• A specific category of 'Global Powers' would be established for states meeting three proportional thresholds: 3% of global population, 5% of global GDP at market exchange rates, and contributing 5% of the UN budget. These states would receive automatic membership and their votes would count as three, although they would not possess a veto.
• The proposed UNSC would consist of approximately 30 votes in total, comprising around 24 elected states and two 'great powers' (such as the US and China). Under this model, both procedural and substantive decisions would require a two-thirds affirmative majority, which would equate to 20 votes if all members are present.
• The document notes that current electoral regions vary significantly in size, from the Africa group (54 members) to the Eastern European Group (23 members), and highlights the need to address cross-regional interest groups like the Arab Group and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

APA

Cilliers, J. (2026). UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: THEMATIC FUTURES. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=19-un-security-council&topic=06-new-unsc

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie. UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: THEMATIC FUTURES. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=19-un-security-council&topic=06-new-unsc.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |title=UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: THEMATIC FUTURES |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=29 March 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=19-un-security-council&topic=06-new-unsc |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliers2026security, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: THEMATIC FUTURES}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=19-un-security-council&topic=06-new-unsc}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }