Walker 1 Conflict has always existed.

The United Nations Security Councils function is to solve conflicts which are usually military in nature ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). *ven with the United Nations Security Council! there is conflict 'ecause many +eo+le want to restructure the United Nations Security Council ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). ,eo+le advocate for a more diverse! re+resentative! deli'erative! efficient and u+-to-date United Nations Security Council. The United Nations $ives the mantle of +rotectin$ nations! +eo+les! etc. within the international community to the United Nations Security Council ("UN Security Council .ack$round(). This essentially means that the Security Council is the +olice council of the United Nations. Since this is such a $rave res+onsi'ility! the United Nations re/uires the mem'ers of the Security Council to 'e +resent at all times at the "United Nations 0ead/uarters( ("UN Security Council .ack$round(). 1n matters of $rave national and international security! one cannot often wait very lon$ for a resolution. Currently! the United Nations consists of five +ermanent mem'er states (which are& China! 2rance! 3ussian 2ederation! the United 4in$dom and the United States ("5em'ershi+ in 6711(). These seats never chan$e hands. There are also ten non-+ermanent mem'ers that are elected to the Security Council for a two year term (and cannot serve consecutive terms on the United Nations Security Council) ("5em'ershi+ in 6711(). There is fre/uent turnover of mem'er states which can theoretically hel+ make the Security Council more re+resentative. The five +ermanent mem'ers of the Security Council essentially have most of the +ower on the Security Council ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). Since they never vacate their +ositions! they can

Walker 6 entrench themselves in the office and learn how to do the %o' to where they $rant themselves most of the +ower. 8ranted the non +ermanent mem'ers of the Security Council do hold some sway! they do not have much concrete +ower ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council( 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). Since the non-+ermanent mem'ers stay on the Council for a short time! they o'viously do not have the time to 'uild u+ the a++aratus to make themselves more +owerful on the Security Council. The Security Council would 'e more le$itimate if it were more re+resentative of the world and at the same time! more deli'erative in its actions ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). 1f the Security Council looked more like the rest of the world and actually discussed +ro'lems! then more +eo+le could lend credence to the Security Council 'ecause the Security Council may 'e actin$ in everyones 'est interests. Currently! the five +ermanent mem'ers of the Security Council never have to face accounta'ility throu$h elections ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). The five +ermanent mem'ers of the Security Council can essentially do what they want with little ramification from outside of the Security Council. With this 'ein$ the case! the Security Council (es+ecially the five +ermanent mem'ers) could lose touch with the reality on the $round in the world. *ach mem'er state of the Security Council has only one vote9 for some "+rocedural( votes re/uire nine out of fifteen yes votes to re/uire a certain action ("5em'ershi+ in 6711(). Therefore! many of the actions that the Security Council undertakes re/uire a su+erma%ority of those nations that are +resent. 0owever! "su'stantial matters( re/uire all yes votes from the +ermanent mem'ers and a total nine yes votes for further action to 'e taken ("5em'ershi+ in 6711(). *ssentially! each mem'er of the five +ermanent mem'ers of the Security Council has

Walker : veto ca+acity on any measure 'efore them. Therefore! each +ermanent mem'er has to vote yes for somethin$ to ha++en and one votes no! the Security Council! or whoever else! cannot act in a certain action. The United Nations does not allow any mem'er-State that is not a mem'er of the Security Council and that is not directly affected 'y the Security Councils decision! to +artici+ate in Security Council meetin$s9 however! nations that are indirectly affected 'y the Security Councils actions are allowed to +artake in the discussions! 'ut are not allowed to vote on the matter at hand ("UN Security Council .ack$round(). *ssentially! the United Nations is allowin$ the nation to have some influence over the ha++enin$s of the Security Council 'ut will not allow the nation to have com+lete control over the Security Councils actions. Since the Security Council aids with conflicts and is structured the way it currently is structured! there are some within the international community who call for the Security Council to have its mem'ershi+ restructured (0urd! "5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). These +eo+le claim the Security Council "is indis+uta'ly out of date( (0urd! "5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). 0owever! there is no a$reement across the 'oard on how to fix the Security Council! even thou$h there is wides+read a$reement that the Security Council has its +ro'lems that need to 'e solved 'y the international community and the United Nations (0urd! ;5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). <ften times! +eo+le will claim that there is a +ro'lem without ever su$$estin$ a solution. 0urd states that there are those who state that the Security Council and even the United Nations are 'oth desi$ned for an international climate that is no lon$er in existence ("5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). The Security

Walker = Council and the United Nations have clearly 'ecome outdated to some and as a result! mi$ht not 'e in ste+ with the +olitical realities of todays international climate. 4ofi >nnan has stated that! "a chan$e in the Councils com+osition is needed to make it more 'roadly re+resentative of the international community as a whole! as well as todays $eo+olitical realities! and there'y more le$itimate in the eyes of the world( (0urd! "5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). 2or the Council to have more le$itimacy on the world sta$e! the Security Council needs a different mem'ershi+ structure than what it currently +ossesses (0urd! "5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). 1f the mem'ers of the Council are not 'rin$in$ the Council le$itimacy now! then the Council has to 'e revam+ed to where the Council can have at least a modicum of le$itimacy. ,eo+le want the Security Councils de'ates! actions! decisions! etc. to 'e "le$itimate9( however! many if any! do not define what constitutes "le$itimate( (0urd! "5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). What one wants in one situation mi$ht not necessarily what one wants in another situation. >nd without this le$itimacy! there are those that the credi'ility of the Security Council is 'ein$ dama$ed! their authority is 'ein$ strained and that the "ine/uality( on the Security Council is makin$ it less credi'le on the world sta$e (0urd! "5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). 1f no country ever listens to the Security Council 'ecause it is not credi'le! there is no +oint in havin$ the Security Council in existence. ?ifferent +eo+le can

'rin$ in new ideas 'ecause they have 'een throu$h different thin$s in life. .ecause of this! they can share new and varied ex+eriences with others which can hel+ shed li$ht on the +ro'lems that the Security Council now faces and may as a direct conse/uence! hel+ the Security Council to 'etter do its %o'.

Walker @ >ccordin$ to 0urd! the way to solve the +ro'lems that the United Nations Security Council faces is to chan$e the mem'ershi+ of the Security Council to where it is more re+resentative of the world as it is today ("5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). Truly re+resentative re+resentation can ensure that different voices! cultures! +eo+les! and nations are re+resented. 0urd says that this is the way to make the Security Councils actions more le$itimate ("5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform). When there are more voices that are re+resented in decisions and in actions! there is the assum+tion that more thin$s were considered! therefore! a 'etter outcome was eventually reached. *ven the United States said in 677@ that the world needs "a Security Council that looks like the world of 677@( (0urd! "5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). The way the world looks in 6711 will not 'e the same way it looks in 6177 or at any other time in the future or in the +ast. Chan$in$ the com+osition of the Security Council will! accordin$ to those advocatin$ a more re+resentative Security Council! 'e more diverse and have more diverse actions! etc. (0urd! "5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itmation in UN Security Council 3eform(). Without these insi$hts! one may risk tryin$ the same ineffective strate$ies as 'efore. 0owever! one has to remem'er that true "le$itimacy( in the eyes of some is only havin$ ones own country on the Security Council (0urd! "5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform(). ?oes le$itimacy only come a'out when one (+erson or nation) is in +owerA There are those! for exam+le! that ar$ue that 2rance should not 'e on the Security Council (?enny! "> Union on the UN& should 2rance kee+ its Security Council seatA(). 2rance has shown some "su++ort( for 8ermanys havin$ a seat on the Security Council so that there may 'e less scrutiny on the +ossi'ility of the *uro+ean Union havin$ a seat on the Security

Walker B Council (?enny! "> Union on the UN& should 2rance kee+ its Security Council seatA(). <ne

can see that if the *uro+ean Union were to $ain a seat on the Security Council that other similar or$aniCations! such as the >frican Union! would want a seat on the Security Council (?enny! "> Union on the UN& should 2rance kee+ its Security Council seatA(). *ach nation does not want to feel left out. 1f 2rance is removed from the Security Council! /uestions a'out the United 4in$doms seat and other similar situations would surface (?enny! "> Union on the UN& should 2rance kee+ its Security Council seatA(). <ther nations would start feelin$ insecure a'out their status on the Security Council. Would they 'e a'le to retain any ty+e of a mem'er seat on the Security Council or would the United Nations take them off the Security CouncilA Nations surely do not want to $ive u+ their +olitical clout. <ne has to remem'er these countries are ar$uin$ for more diversity on the Security Council! 'ut do not want to $ive u+ their +ower. There are those that ar$ue that the Security Council should 'e ex+anded 'ecause the Council has a "deli'erative deficit( ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). *ssentially! the Security Councils de'ate is very lackin$. These +eo+le +oint out that the de'ates that the Security Council has are not very ori$inal9 'ut rather! the de'ates that the Council has are very ri$id and very +olitical ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). ,eo+le! such as 0a'ermas! ar$ue is that the Security Council needs to act deli'eratively while 'ein$ efficient ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). .ein$ deli'erative is $reat9 however! one needs to do ones %o' as well. .ein$ deli'erative does no $ood if it +roduces no results (or +oor results for that matter). 1f the Security Council is more deli'erative and efficient! it is theoretically +ossi'le

Walker D that their decisions will 'e viewed with more credence ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). ,eo+le could +ossi'ly res+ect the Security Council for considerin$ different sides of the +ro'lem while actually attem+tin$ to solve the +ro'lem intelli$ently. ohnstone shows ar$ues that the Security Council was not set u+ as a democracy9 however! what the Security Council does $reatly im+acts everyday citiCens of the world ("#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). The Security Council will seem more le$itimate in its functions if it is more deli'erative if it continues to 'e non-democratic in nature ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). >ctually discussin$ the +ro'lem(s) that the world faces is a $ood thin$ 'ecause the different mem'ers will 'e a'le listen to one another! talk to one another! and com+romise with one another and as a result! will 'e a'le to create a 'etter solution to the worlds security +ro'lems. Su'stantive de'ates may not 'rin$ a'out $ood answers to difficult +ro'lems that the Security Council faces9 however! the ar$uments that have 'een 'ased on solid de'ates will 'e viewed as more authoritative ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). The Security Council also has 'een controversial recently due to +assin$ sanctions a$ainst +eo+le and nations! declarin$ certain acts to 'e ille$al! etc. ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). This is controversial 'ecause! one! the Security Council is not a court and two! the Security Council is not considered to 'e very deli'erative ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). 1f one does not consider all of the

Walker E ramifications of ones decisions! then a horrendous outcome can ensue. 1f the Security Council does not 'ehave like a court ou$ht to act (even thou$h as ohnstone +oints out! the Security Council is not a court)! then it is +ossi'le that the Security Council will lose all credence with +eo+le! es+ecially those that come 'efore it for ad%udication. With the Security Council 'ein$ more re+resentative and deli'erative in their actions! the Security Council would 'e held to account more often and would 'e more democratic9 as a result the mem'ers of the Security Council would 'e held res+onsi'le for their actions (namely +oor decisions! actions! etc.) ( ohnstone! "#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit(). When the Security Council looks like everyone else! one could theoretically su++ose that one would 'e more willin$ to hold the Security Council more res+onsi'le for its actions. When the Security Council is more deli'erative in its actions! one could have a 'etter chance of seein$ what the Security Council is doin$ and have a 'etter chance of actually holdin$ it to account. No solution that any one devises for the Security Council will 'e +erfect. Nor will the solution +lease everyone. There will always 'e disa$reements of varyin$ sorts! 'oth now and in the future. Therefore! when chan$in$ the Security Council! one will have to realiCe that no +erfect solution will 'e devised. >s a result! +eo+le will have to learn to deal with a Security Council that may not 'e reflective of the current worlds +o+ulation. *ven if a +erfect Security Council were to come to fruition one day! +eo+le would have to work with one another and 'e willin$ to com+romise! which o'viously +eo+le have not 'een willin$ since the 'e$innin$ of time. ,eo+le are not +erfect9 therefore! there will 'e no +erfect United Nations Security Council. This means that +erfect solutions the +ro'lems of the world will not always 'e 'rou$ht a'out for the world to a'ide 'y.

Walker F Works Cited ?enny! Norman 3. G> Union on the UN& should 2rance kee+ its Security Council seatAG
Harvard International Review 32.3 (2010): 72. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomar .do! "content#et$%&'( )ocument*"t+pe$retrie,e"tab%)$-002"prod%d$.&%M"doc%d$&2/0011/20" *ource$gale"*rcprod$.&%M"u*er3roup4ame$tel5a5uofmem",er*ion$1.0.

0urd! 1an. G5yths of mem'ershi+& The ,olitics of le$itimation in UN Security Council 3eform.G
Global Governance 1/.2 (2001): 1006. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomar .do!"content#et$%&'( )ocument*"t+pe$retrie,e"tab%)$-002"prod%d$.&%M"doc%d$&110230107" *ource$gale"*rcprod$.&%M"u*er3roup4ame$tel5a5uofmem",er*ion$1.0 .

ohnstone! 1an. G#e$islation and ad%udication in the UN Security Council& 'rin$in$ down the deli'erative deficit.G American Journal of International Law 102.2 (2001).
Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomar .do!"content#et$%&'( )ocument*"t+pe$retrie,e"tab%)$-002"prod%d$.&%M"doc%d$&210220720" *ource$gale"*rcprod$.&%M"u*er3roup4ame$tel5a5uofmem",er*ion$1.0 .

"5em'ershi+ in 6711.( United Nations. :1 5arch 6711. htt+&HHwww.un.or$HscHmem'ers.as+. "UN Security Council .ack$round.( United Nations. 17 5arch 6711. htt+&HHwww.un.or$H?ocsHscHunscI'ack$round.html.