Chicago, IL, December 04, 2023 –The Noble World Foundation (NWF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to global peace and justice, announced today an initiative to reform the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). NWF proposes reforming the UNSC by granting membership and veto power to regional unions instead of individual states. This reform aims to create a more democratic and effective UNSC that better represents the world.
The NWF’s proposal is detailed in the article “The Urgent Need for UNSC Reform: A Path to Global Peace,” which is posted on nobleworld.org, the NWF’s official website.
However, achieving this UN Charter amendment, focused on Article 4, poses a major challenge. Unanimous consent from the P5 members is required, making it a difficult but crucial task. Echoing the wisdom of Franklin Roosevelt, the chief architect of the UN Charter, who remarked, “No plan is perfect. Whatever is adopted will have to be amended over the years,” we recognize that this amendment is not merely necessary; it is a moral obligation.
Shiv R. Jhawar, the founder of NWF, notes, “Fortunately, the news media can offer assistance in this amendment effort and be a powerful ally. News media coverage can be incredibly valuable in getting the public on board with this goal.”
The urgency for such reform is underscored by Russia’s exercise of its veto power on February 25, 2022, blocking a UNSC resolution aimed at halting its actions in Ukraine. This example highlights the limitations of the UNSC in the face of conflicting national interests. In striking contrast, the European Union (EU) has demonstrated a remarkable track record in conflict prevention.
If a regional union like the EU existed in Eastern Europe before the Russia-Ukraine crisis, it could have potentially prevented the conflict by using regional consensus instead of single-nation veto. To improve the UNSC’s ability to prevent future wars, decision-making authority should be given to a regional union modeled after the EU, rather than allowing one nation to have veto power.
In fact, the UNSC has adopted a regional representation policy in selecting non-permanent members, dividing the world into five distinct regions: the African Group, Asia and the Pacific Group, Eastern European Group, Latin American and Caribbean Group, and Western European and Others Group. It is only logical that this regional representation policy extends to the selection of permanent members as well. After all, the responsibility of upholding international peace and security is a shared endeavor encompassing both permanent and non-permanent UNSC members.