Reforming the Security Council for the 21st Century

Forum: Legal Committee
Question of: Reforming the Security Council for the 21st Century
Submitted by: Serbia
Co-submitted by: Greece, Haiti, Mexico, Turkey , USA, Armenia, Somalia, Nigeria, Brazil, Algeria, South Africa, Uganda, Tunisia, India, Japan, Qatar, Slovenia, Palestine, North Korea.
Affirming that the Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, acting on their behalf, as provided for by the Charter of the United Nations,
Stressing the responsibility of the permanent members of the Security Council to uphold the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and give their full support in the actions aimed at maintaining international peace and security,
Noting with appreciation the work carried out by the Open-Ended Working Group for the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the reform,
Reaffirming its support for the future Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform,
Acknowledging the considerable steps taken by the Security Council to enhance inclusiveness and the representation of general membership,
Further acknowledging that efforts to improve the working methods of the Security Council will help to promote a comprehensive reform, including the increase in its membership, and maintaining international peace and security,
Recognizing the obvious need for further insurance of accountability, transparency, inclusiveness and representativeness of the work of the Security Council, with a view to further enhancing its legitimacy and effectiveness, as the Council has turned inefficient and almost obsolete in the recent years due to several reasons,
Realizing that it is both biased and incorrect to think that the P5 (Permanent Five)’s abilities to offer and prosecute solutions are better than other countries and thus seeks a reform also about veto rights,
1) Invites the UN (United Nations) for the following measures to be taken about the use of the veto by:
a) Implying the need of three fifths majority to veto,
b) Refraining from using a veto to block Security Council action in situations involving serious allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity and grave breaches of international humanitarian law,
c) Suggesting that P5 countries discuss and amend resolutions rather than vetoing them,


d) Asking for explanation of reasons when vetoing or declaring its intention to do so, in particular its consistency with the Charter of the UN and international law verbally and as a Security Council document to all Members of the Organization;
2) Considers changing the working methods of the Security Council in a more transparent and efficient way in order to provide the Security Council with the ability to take more democratic, acceptable and quick actions in crisis situations in a more equal, unbiased, transparent and democratic environment by:
a) Forming a committee that will inspect to see if the decisions made by the Security Council are appropriate and altruistic by: i- ensuring the committee is being followed by the Secretary General of the United Nations ii- gathering funds by the Secretariat-General;
3) Expresses its hope of reforming the structure of the Security Council to ensure the legitimacy and efficiency of the council by:
a) Making the G4 (Group of Four) countries permanent members of the Security Council without veto power as they are the most elected in the Security Council and contribute most to the UN budget,
b) Including three non- permanent members for three months related to the crisis issues if not elected into the 10 non- permanent members,
4) Further recommends the invitation of commissions such as peace building commissions that are related to the crisis issue for more constructive debating and resolving;
5) Urges the Security Council to meet in the UN headquarters in New York monthly instead of meeting when a crisis breaks out;
6) Further urges all Member States to take the following actions to increase the effectiveness of the Subsidiary Bodies Bureau Committees of the SC by:
a) Establishing a new process on how to elect chairpersons of the committee of the Subsidiary Bodies Bureau by requiring the Security Council members to elect them,
b) Increasing the transparency of their work by improving the quality and frequency of their formal reports by:


i- Giving more frequent and substantive briefings to non- members of the Council,
ii- Making summary records more widely and promptly available,
iii- Electing members annually that will construct reports;
7) Further suggests that the Security Council recaps and recalls previously recommended resolutions such as resolution A/RES/377/A ‘Uniting for Peace’;
8) Calls upon the President of the General Assembly to regularly attend Security Council sessions as an observer;
9) Requests Member States to launch a reform agenda for the SC which will make it a more reliable and democratic decision making association, and also an organization fit for facing the challenges and threats of the 21st century successfully;
10) Decides to remain pro-active about the matter.

Dilara DEMİR 11E
TIMUN 2011 / Uskudar American Academy