Experts call for reform of UN Security Council and Peacebuilding Commission

The papers are the third and fourth in a series by the University’s Initiative for Peacebuilding in the lead up to the UN Summit of the Future. Image credit: Unsplash/Sunguk Kim.

University of Melbourne experts are calling for reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) to maintain international peace and security and prevent catastrophic wars.

The arguments were made in ‘Rising to the challenge: how Australia can help strengthen the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission’ and ‘Transform or die: the case for reforming the UN Security Council’, the third and fourth papers in a series prepared by the University’s Initiative for Peacebuilding in the lead up to the UN Summit of the Future.

The experts argue that the UNSC should increase the number of elected members to the mid-twenties, with a focus on allocating these positions to representatives from Africa, Asia and Latin America, to strengthen the Council’s democratic fairness.

The University of Melbourne’s Professor John Langmore AM, Professorial Fellow and Chair of the Initiative for Peacebuilding’s Advisory Board and co-author of the ‘Transform or Die’ brief said “There is growing consensus that the Security Council will gradually fade into irrelevance if it remains unreformed and unreconstructed.

“Reforming the UNSC would be a vital step in improving the UN’s capacity to fulfil its responsibility for setting international standards and regulating interstate behaviour”.

The experts highlight a list of key areas where the PBC desperately needs improvement, including its limited resources, lack of enforcement powers, and its slow response to on-the-ground conflict.

The authors recommend Australia lead the development of a national prevention strategy in partnership with a country in the Pacific and prioritise contemporary issues such as climate, security and migration.

Russell Rollason AM, Senior Advisor to the Initiative for Peacebuilding and co-author of the ‘Rising to the Challenge’ brief said “Ahead of the Summit and in preparation for Australia taking a seat on the PBC in 2025, it is timely for Australia to advocate for the UN to strengthen the PBC in its role and resources.

“Australia could lead the development on a national prevention strategy in partnership with a country in the Pacific and include contemporary issues like climate, security and migration. This could also develop a model for the PBC and other countries”.

The UN Summit of the Future will be held from 22-23 September 2024 in New York, bringing world leaders together to facilitate global cooperation on how to deliver a better present and safeguard the future.

In preparation for the Summit, the Initiative for Peacebuilding is co-hosting a hybrid roundtable discussion on 6 August in Canberra and online in conjunction with the UN Association of Australia and the Australian Institute of International Affairs (ACT).