> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://signals.joincomrades.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # 28 Sep 2026 · Editorial > Comrades Editorial of 28 Sep 2026, by news group. > **[Comrades Editorial · 28 Sep 2026 (PDF)](https://dl.joincomrades.com/e/28-09-26)** *** ## In this edition 1. [Reimagining the United Nations Security Council](#h-1) International Relations ## International Relations ### Reimagining the United Nations Security Council [Source](https://www.drishtiias.com/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-editorials/28-09-2026) This editorial is based on “Should permanent membership and veto powers of the UNSC be abolished?” published in the Hindu on 25/09/2026. The article highlights that recurring geopolitical gridlocks necessitate vital reforms, emphasizing voluntary P5 veto restraint, enhanced accountability, and restructuring for equitable Global South representation. At a high-level briefing in September, 2026, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) highlighted the growing challenge of global displacement, with the UN Refugee Chief noting that “when peace fails, people move.” As the premier global organ tasked with maintaining international peace and security, the UNSC faces increasing scrutiny as structural obsolescence, geopolitical paralysis, and the strategic weaponization of the veto power have undermined its credibility. Addressing these challenges requires ambitious multilateral reforms, including expanding representation, ensuring responsible veto use during humanitarian crises, and aligning the Council with contemporary security realities. **What is the United Nations Security Council?** * **About:** * UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, specifically tasked under Article 24 of the UN Charter with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. * Unlike the UN General Assembly, which can only make non-binding recommendations, UNSC decisions under Chapter VII carry legally binding authority over all UN member states. * **Membership:** It composes 5 Permanent Members (P5: United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China) and 10 Non-Permanent Members (E10) elected for staggered two-year terms by the UN General Assembly. * **Voting Mechanics & The Veto Power:** * Procedural matters require an affirmative vote of any 9 members. Substantive issues (e.g., sanction regimes or military deployments) require 9 votes including the concurring votes of all P5 members. * Under Article 27(3) of the UN Charter, the P5 Veto Mechanism empowers any of the 5 permanent members of the Security Council to unilaterally block any substantive resolution, regardless of international support. * Due to the veto mechanism, gridlock frequently occurs during major global crises due to geopolitical fault lines. E.g., * **Ukraine Conflict:** Russia repeatedly used its veto to block resolutions condemning its military action in Ukraine, demonstrating how P5 rivalries cripple binding collective action. * **Gaza/Middle East:** The US historically exercised its veto multiple times to block or alter resolutions demanding immediate ceasefires before abstaining or passing compromised texts. * **Operational Powers under UN Charter Chapters:** * **Chapter VI (Pacific Settlement of Disputes):** Powers to investigate disputes, mediate negotiations, and recommend terms of settlement (e.g., peace envoys). * **Chapter VII (Action with Respect to Threats to Peace):** * Enforces mandatory measures that do not involve or do involve armed force: * **Sanctions & Asset Freezes:** Target rogue regimes or terrorist networks (e.g., the 1267 Al-Qaida/Da'esh Sanctions Committee). * **Arms Embargoes:** Restrict military hardware supply (e.g., long-standing arms embargoes on Somalia and Libya). * **Authorized Military Intervention:** Direct deployment or authorization of international coalitions (e.g., Resolution 1973 authorizing a "no-fly zone" in Libya in 2011, or Resolution 2699 authorizing the Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti). What are the Key Contributions of UNSC in Maintenance of International Peace and Security? * **Executing Peacekeeping & Stabilization Missions:** * Modern UNSC peacekeeping has evolved from merely monitoring ceasefires to actively engaging in robust civilian protection, state-building, and offensive military operations against armed groups. Key operational successes and ongoing mandates include: * **UNMIL (Liberia, 2003–2018):** Disarmed 100,000+ combatants and supported democratic transition after civil war. * **MINUSTAH (Haiti, 2004–2017):** Restored stability and strengthened Haitian National Police after political crisis. * **UNMISET (Timor-Leste, 2002–2005):** Built governance and security institutions before sovereignty transfer. * **MINURCAT (Central African Republic & Chad, 2007–2010):** Protected 250,000+ refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) amid regional conflict spillovers. * **Institutionalizing Post-Conflict Peacebuilding:** * Recognizing that military intervention alone does not stop countries from relapsing into conflict, the UNSC helped engineer the UN's long-term stabilization architecture. * Established via Resolution 1645 (2005), the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) serves as a unique intergovernmental advisory body that bridges emergency security operations with long-term economic development. * It has successfully engaged in over 26 different countries and regions, marshaling international funds for Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) and Security Sector Reform (SSR) to ensure fragile states transitioning out of UN mandates (like Sierra Leone and Burundi) do not fall back into violence. * **Forging International Criminal Accountability:** * The UNSC has pioneered the legal architecture required to prosecute mass atrocities, bypassing national sovereign immunity to enforce international human rights. * For instance, jusing its Chapter VII enforcement powers, the Council created ad hoc criminal tribunals International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) (1993) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) (1994). * **Legislating Global Non-Proliferation & Counter-Terrorism Norms:** * Because drafting and ratifying international treaties can take decades, the UNSC frequently acts as a rapid global legislator to mandate universal security standards. * Passed in 2004, Resolution 1540 legally bound all 193 UN member states to establish rigorous domestic legal and border controls to prevent non-state actors and terrorist networks from acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction. * Resolution 2396 (2017) compelled member states to implement specific technological border security measures—such as biometric data collection and the sharing of Advance Passenger Information (API)—to intercept terrorist travel globally. * **Combating Asymmetric and Maritime Security Threats:** * The Council continuously adapts its Chapter VII authority to secure the global commons against non-state interference and piracy. * Resolution 2722 formally condemned Houthi attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea, demanded the release of hijacked ships like the Galaxy Leader, and explicitly affirmed the right of member states to defend their vessels from asymmetric drone and missile attacks under international law. What are the Key Issues Hindering Effective Functioning of UNSC? * **Strategic Weaponization of the Veto Power & Admission Blockades:** * The P5 veto has devolved from an emergency security brake into a tool for geopolitical immunity and stonewalling administrative processes. * E.g., the US vetoed a UNSC resolution recommending the State of Palestine for full UN membership, overriding 12 votes in favor and a global consensus. * Using the veto to block statehood recognition rather than manage military conflicts deepens the Council's legitimacy crisis, proving that P5 national interests routinely supersede the UN Charter’s collective mandate. * **Dismantling of Monitoring Architectures:** * A critical new hindrance is the active destruction of the UNSC’s technical oversight bodies by major powers to shield strategic allies. * E.g., Russia strategically vetoed the mandate renewal of the Panels of Experts (PoE) monitoring the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) sanctions regime. * This unprecedented move left the UN sanctions regime in a "zombie-like state", the sanctions legally exist, but there is no longer a centralized, independent UN mechanism to track North Korea’s sanctions evasion, such as illicit ship-to-ship petroleum transfers or state-sponsored cryptocurrency cyberattacks. * **Collapse of Host-State Consent & The Rise of PMCs:** * The UNSC has no recourse when a host government revokes consent, even if doing so guarantees mass civilian casualties or a relapse into civil war. * E.g., in 2023, the military junta in Mali unilaterally demanded the immediate withdrawal of MINUSMA, a 15,000-strong UN force. Similarly, Sudan forced the termination of UNITAMS in late 2023 amidst an exploding civil war. * In these regions, host governments are increasingly replacing UN Blue Helmets with unaccountable Private Military Companies (PMCs), such as the Russian Wagner Group (rebranded as Africa Corps). * **Financial Asphyxiation and Mandate Overreach:** * The UN faces a chronic liquidity crisis because major member states use the withholding of assessed peacekeeping contributions as political leverage. * E.g., as of April 2026, US unpaid assessments were around $2 billion for the UN regular budget, representing 73% of the total unpaid assessments, and $2.2 billion for UN peacekeeping, representing 63% of total unpaid assessments. * When member states fall into arrears, the UN cannot reimburse Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs)—mostly developing nations like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Rwanda. This degrades the logistical capacity, medical evacuation capabilities, and morale of deployed troops. * **Structural Mismatch with Asymmetric and Cyber Warfare:** * The rise of transnational terror syndicates, decentralized militias, and state-sponsored cyber warfare exists largely outside traditional Westphalian frameworks. * UNSC struggles to apply traditional tools (like territorial blockades or diplomatic isolation) to entities that hold no territory or legal status. * For example, the UNSC has struggled to formulate binding, enforceable resolutions regarding state-sponsored ransomware attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, primarily because the attribution of cyber warfare remains highly contested and major cyber powers sit on the Council as veto-wielding members. * **Procedural Opacity & the Hijacking of "Arria-Formula" Meeting:** * As formal chambers deadlock, diplomacy is increasingly shifting to informal mechanisms that lack legally binding outcomes. * Created in 1992 for confidential briefings with NGOs and whistleblowers, Arria-Formula Meetings are now heavily exploited by P5 members to bypass formal vetoes and wage unilateral propaganda wars (e.g., competing sessions on the Ukraine conflict or human rights). * This informalization of diplomacy transforms the UNSC into a geopolitical theater, actively sidelining E10 (non-permanent) members who lack the diplomatic capital to host competing shadow meetings. * **Inertia Towards Expansion of Permanent Members:** * Existing permanent members are reluctant to dilute their influence, leading to institutional inertia and procedural stonewalling during Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN). * Groups like the "Uniting for Consensus" (Coffee Club) oppose adding new permanent seats, ensuring negotiations remain bogged down without a unified text-based framework. * Despite India’s global stature, economic weight, peacekeeping role, and Global South leadership, its permanent membership bid remains stalled due to geopolitical constraints, particularly opposition from China. **India's Bid for Permanent Seat in UNSC** * **Demographic Parity & Global South Representation:** * India represents \~18% of the world's population; excluding it denies a fifth of humanity permanent representation in global security matters. * Spearheads the L.69 Group (40+ developing nations) and the G4 nations (India, Brazil, Germany, Japan) demanding UNSC expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories. * **Economic Scale & Humanitarian Leadership:** * India holds the third position globally among the world's largest economies when measured by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). * Serves as a primary Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) provider under its MAHASAGAR framework e.g., Operation Karuna (Myanmar relief), Operation Kaveri (Sudan evacuation) etc. * **UN Peacekeeping Contributions:** * Deployed over 275,000 troops across 50 UN peacekeeping missions, with 180+ personnel sacrificing their lives under the UN flag. * Deployed the UN's first-ever all-female Formed Police Unit (FPU) to UNMIL (Liberia, 2007), setting a global precedent for women in peacekeeping. * **Non-Proliferation & Responsible Power:** * Operates an exemplary non-proliferation record anchored by an official No First Use (NFU) doctrine despite being an NPT non-signatory. * Full member of key non-proliferation regimes like MTCR, Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group. * **Diplomatic Consensus & Track Record:** * Enjoys explicit endorsements from 4 of the P5 (US, UK, France, Russia) and regional blocs like the Visegrád Group (V4). * Completed 8 terms as a non-permanent member (last served 2021–22) and launched its campaign for a 9th term (2028–29). What Measures can Enhance the Effectiveness and Representativeness of UNSC? * **Veto Restriction & Mandated Accountabilities:** * Universally implement the French-Mexican Initiative and the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency (ACT) Group Code of Conduct (supported by 120+ states) to mandate that P5 members voluntarily pledge not to exercise veto power in cases of genocide, war crimes, and mass atrocities. * Additionally, strictly enforce Article 27(3) requiring a party to a dispute to abstain from voting, while operationalizing Resolution 76/262 (Veto Initiative) to trigger a UNGA Resolution 377A ("Uniting for Peace") 2/3 supermajority override whenever a P5 veto paralyzes the Council. * **Adaptive Membership & Structural Expansion:** * Implement UN High-Level Panel Model B to create 4–8 year renewable semi-permanent seats, effectively bridging the structural gap between permanent status and short 2-year terms. * Furthermore, operationalize the African Union's Ezulwini Consensus by guaranteeing at least 2 permanent and 5 non-permanent seats for Africa, while reserving dedicated rotating seats for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) facing acute climate security risks. * **Operational Democratization & Working Methods:** * Mandate a binding Co-Penholdership system pairing one P5 member with one elected (E10) member across all country-specific and thematic draft resolutions to break the historic P3 drafting monopoly. * In tandem, transfer Panel of Experts (PoE) appointments directly to the UN Secretariat to prevent single P5 vetoes from shutting down sanctions monitoring, while replacing closed consultations with public, recorded sessions to maximize diplomatic transparency. * **Financial Predictability & Mandate Realism:** * Fully execute Resolution 2719 to allocate up to 75% of UN-assessed contributions toward African Union Peace Support Operations, ensuring sustainable and predictable funding for regional rapid-reaction forces. * To support this operational shift, embed mandatory Exit Benchmarks and Humanitarian Impact Assessments (HIAs) into Chapter VII mandates, while establishing a dedicated Reimbursement Reserve Fund for Troop-Contributing Countries (TCCs) to buffer against major power financial arrears. * **Judicial Oversight & Technical Expansion:** * Empower the UN General Assembly to request binding International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinions to review UNSC Chapter VII resolutions if they are alleged to violate jus cogens or international human rights norms. * Simultaneously, establish independent technical monitoring bodies under the UN umbrella to track emerging non-traditional security threats, including Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), state-sponsored cyberwarfare, and climate-induced conflict displacement. **Conclusion** * The UNSC remains indispensable to the global security architecture, but its effectiveness depends on reconciling great-power interests with collective responsibility. Reform must therefore address the veto, representation, financing, working methods and emerging security threats simultaneously. For India, permanent membership would reflect its demographic weight, peacekeeping contribution and growing global role, while enabling a more representative and responsive multilateral security order. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.