THE UNSC
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six major organs of the United Nations (UN). It is charged, among other things, with the responsibility to ensure international peace and security. In pursuance of this core responsibility, the UNSC may establish peace-keeping operations, authorise military action, and enact international sanctions.
Established in 1945, the UNSC has a current membership of five permanent members, “the P5” (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the USA), and ten non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to represent geographic areas globally, for two-year stints. In 2021-2021, St. Vincent and the Grenadines served as one of the two non-permanent members representing the Latin American and Caribbean region, but elected by the whole of UNGA.
Each of “the P5” members of the UNSC has a veto power; this means that any of “the P5” members, in exercise of this veto, can block any decision of the UNSC. This is an awesome power of “the P5” — the victors of the World War II gave themselves this power. None of the defeated nation of the Axis powers (Germany, Japan, Italy) was accorded “P5” status; so, too, no country from Africa, most of whch in 1945 were colonies of European powers; so, too, India, was a colony; and the large South American nation, Brazil, received no consideration in this regard.
At its founding in 1945, the UN had 51 member-states; today is has 193. The world is vastly different today than in 1945. Thus, the clarion call, globally, by the overwhelming majority of the member-states of the UN for meaningful reform of the UN, especially the UNSC, though there are multiple reform proposals from various states. St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the last 20 years has been at the forefront in setting forth its views on the reform of the UNSC. Among the 39 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the UN, SVG has taken the lead on this subject. It has been a founder-member of “the L 69 Group” at the UN since 2007; and since 2016, it has been the Chair of “L 69”.
WHAT IS “L 69”?
The “L 69 Group” is a group of developing countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Currently, the group has 32 member-countries and is a major bloc united in a common cause of achieving lasting and comprehensive reform of the UNSC.
The “L 69 Group” derives its name from the draft document, “L 69”, that the Group tabled in 2007-2008, which led to the start-up of the Intergovernmental Negotiation (IGN) process to reform the UNSC. The Group had tabled in 2007-2008, a draft resolution on the “Question of Equitable Representation on an Increase in Membership of the Security Council and Related Matters”. One of the drafters of this resolution was SVG’s then Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the UN, Camillo Gonsalves, now Minister of Finance. Camillo was very active in “L 69”; his successor, Inga Rhonda King, has continued this activism. She has been the Chair of “the L 69” since 2016.
le progress going into the next session of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform.
“On the heels of ‘The Summit of the Future’ and the adoption by the UNGA of ‘The Pact for the Future’, where Leaders committed to Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow, there is a strengthened momentum around the need for safeguarding an effective Security Council that can discharge its mandate in a manner that can tackle the global challenges.”
membership of “L 69”. In any event, it has to be engaged in bridge-building to find a common ground. Our work reaffirms again that even though we are small in size, the quality of our representations counts. All SIDS, especially in the Caribbean, ought to be proud of the quality work of SVG in the multilateral system.
The Press Statement issued at the end of the recent “L 69” Ministerial meeting ought to be read by all concerned.