Circling the Square: The Quest for UN Security Council Reform

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: International Organisations, grade: 1,0, University College Cork (Department of Government), course: Übung Global Governance, language: English, abstract: In the realm of international politics, few debates have become as tedious as the quest for United Nations (UN) Security Council reform. After an overview of the SC's role and functions, this essay discuesses previous attempts of reform and the reform models at stake. Weighing the balance between efficiency and legitimacy, this essay argues that the addition of new permanent members and a change of veto regulations are red lines which cannot be crossed, and that, instead, the addition of six non-permanent members might be the least common denominator.