“The reform makes sense if it is done for everyone and not just for some. We are not interested in creating new hierarchies and we do not believe that there are first-class and second-class nations. Nations exist, with their histories, their peculiarities and their citizens who all have the same rights because all individuals are born free and equal.” These are the words of Giorgia Meloni in her speech at the summit dedicated to the future of the United Nations. Meloni’s critical words refer to the project to reform the UN Security Council, which the Prime Minister would like to be inspired by the “principles of equality, democracy and representativeness.”
In essence, Italy is asking to be recognized as having a leading role in the future enlargement of the Security Council, the executive body of the UN made up of five permanent members with the right of veto (the United States, Russia, China, France and Great Britain) plus ten other member states on a rotating basis.
There has been talk for years of a reform of the Security Council able to better reflect the complexity of today’s world. The theme was addressed by the Pact for the Future adopted by the UN on Sunday to address the challenges of the 21st century: from climate change to artificial intelligence, from the escalation of conflicts to the increase in inequality and poverty
“Our world is going through a period of turbulence and transition, but we cannot wait for perfect conditions. We must take the first decisive steps to update and reform international cooperation,” urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“We will reform the Security Council, recognizing the urgent need to make it more representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable,” the final document reads. Among the objectives are to “redress the historical injustice against Africa as a priority and, treating Africa as a special case, improve the representation of under-represented and unrepresented regions and groups, such as Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.” The aim is to expand the Security Council to be more representative of the current composition of the United Nations and reflect the realities of the contemporary world and, taking into account our commitments to the sustainable development goal, increase the representation of developing countries and small and medium-sized states.”
These conclusions are in line with what he declared on September 18 at the Foreign Press Center in Washington. Linda Thomas GreenfieldUS ambassador to the United Nations. “This is a process that began two years ago,” the diplomat explained, “when President Biden said the United States supports expanding the Council to include permanent representation from countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. This is in addition to the countries we have long supported for permanent seats: India, Japan and Germany. First, the United States supports the creation of two permanent seats for Africans on the Council. Second, the United States supports the creation of a new elected seat on the Security Council for small island developing states. Third, the United States is ready to act on these reforms and pursue text-based negotiation; in other words, to put our principles on paper and begin the process of amending the UN Charter.”
This acceleration by the United States displaces Italy, which for years, through the initiative Uniting for Consensus works with a group of countries, geographically transversal, united by some convictions, especially the opposition to establishing new permanent seats attributed to single Nations. “If in fact”, is the position of Italy, “the condition of the current 5 permanent members finds an explanation in the particular historical circumstances of the end of the Second World War, the UfC countries believe that it would not be appropriate today a reform that would give rise to further, unjustified privileged positions within the International Community, to the detriment of the general interests of the entire UN membership”.
These are not new differences of opinion that could further prolong the times of a reform called for by all and more necessary than ever in a world where multilateralism appears increasingly in crisis.