The United States has announced it will back the addition of two permanent seats for African countries on the United Nations Security Council and the creation of a non-permanent seat for a small island developing nation.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the statement during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, reaffirming President Joe Biden’s earlier call to expand the 15-member body to better reflect the global landscape.
Currently, African nations hold three non-permanent seats on the council, but Thomas-Greenfield argued this is insufficient. “It doesn’t allow African countries to fully deliver the benefit of their knowledge and voices,” she said. “That’s why, in addition to non-permanent membership for African countries, the U.S. supports creating two permanent seats for Africa on the council.” She emphasized that the move aligns with the goals of African nations and is a matter of justice.
However, the U.S. opposes giving veto power to the new permanent African members, a privilege that has long been a point of contention. According to Thomas-Greenfield, the veto has made the Security Council “dysfunctional” and weakened its effectiveness in maintaining global peace and security. The stance highlights limits in the level of influence Washington is willing to extend to other countries. While Security Council resolutions are legally binding, they are frequently disregarded by those they target.
Calls to reform the council have been growing, with many nations agreeing that nearly 80 years after the U.N. was founded following World War II, the body’s structure should be updated to better represent the modern world. But how to achieve such reform remains a point of deep division.
The Security Council has not altered its structure since its founding in 1945. It currently consists of 10 rotating, non-permanent members elected for two-year terms and five permanent members — the U.S., Russia, China, the U.K. and France — all of whom wield veto power. The use of vetoes has led to paralysis in addressing major global conflicts, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Efforts to reshape the council began as early as 1979. In 2005, world leaders called for the council to be “more broadly representative, efficient and transparent.” Yet, deep divisions continue to stall progress. That same year, the U.N. General Assembly shelved three competing proposals for reform. The General Assembly must approve any changes to the Security Council’s structure.
In September 2022, Biden endorsed expanding the number of both permanent and non-permanent seats on the council, specifically supporting permanent spots for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as for Germany, Japan, and India.
During her address, Thomas-Greenfield did not mention Biden’s previous pledge regarding Latin America and the Caribbean, but a senior U.S. official, speaking anonymously, reaffirmed the administration’s continued support for permanent seats for these regions, in addition to Africa.
Responding to calls for more diverse representation on the council, Thomas-Greenfield announced U.S. backing for an additional rotating seat for small island developing nations. She noted that these nations — which number 39 and are home to 65 million people across more than 1,000 islands — provide critical insights into global security, particularly on the impact of climate change.
“These 39 states are not a monolith. But each has critical insights on a range of international peace and security issues,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “That includes, notably, the impact of climate change.”
Looking ahead, the U.S. plans to draft a resolution to reform the council. Thomas-Greenfield acknowledged the challenges, particularly the lack of consensus among the U.N.’s 193 member states.
“I’m an optimist. But I’m also a realist,” she said. “And the reality is this: no amount of conversation will ever get us to a place of total consensus on this issue.”
While the road to reform may be long, the ambassador stressed that action is necessary to move beyond the gridlock that has defined the council for decades.
