How can I research the topic of UN Security Council reform?

UN Security Council reform has been discussed over many years under different agenda items in the UN General Assembly, its subsidiaries, the Security Council and its subsidiaries, as well as in informal meetings and outside of formal UN bodies. It can be difficult to research as many of the negotiations were in informal or closed meetings and documentary records can be hard to find. 

Information on the current process can be found on the UN website: Security Council Reform | General Assembly of the United Nations

• For webcast of meetings of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN): go to UN WebTV -> General Assembly ->select the session ->Informal Meetings

  • 79th session Informal Meetings

Secondary sources provide both historic context and reference to key documents. The following were consulted in preparation of this FAQ (links to our catalogue records below) : 

• Fassbender, B. (2020). Key documents on the reform of the UN Security Council 1991-2019 (B. Fassbender, Ed.). Brill Nijhoff.
• L.69 Group. (2018). Handbook on Security Council Reform: 25 years of Deliberations. Permanent Mission of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
• Sievers, L., & Daws, S. (2015). The Procedure of the UN Security Council. (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
• Simma, Bruno and others (2024), The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary (Simma et al. Eds, 4th Edition) Oxford University Press.
  • Rensmann, Thilo, 'Reform', in Bruno Simma, and others (eds), The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary, 4th Edition (2024; online edn, Oxford Academic), accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Some key recent references include the following, with the name of the "major group" making the proposal when found: 

• 2024 IGN proposals, no UN document issued, see Security Council reform website:
  • CARICOM: Model of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Reform of the United Nations Security Council
  • Liechtenstein: Revised model for a reformed Security Council received from the Permanent Representative of the Principality of Liechtenstein 
• 2024: Interactive Handbook of the Working Methods of the Security Council ; see also S/2024/507 : 
  Note [on measures to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the work of the Security Council] / by the President of the Security Council
• 2022:  A/RES/76/262 : Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council : Resolution of the General Assembly
• 2015: France and Mexico: no UN document issued: Political Declaration on Suspension of Veto Powers in Cases of Mass Atrocities
• 2012: A/66/L.42/Rev.2  Enhancing the accountability, transparency and effectiveness of the Security Council :  by the Accountability, Coherence, Transparency (ACT) Group: predecessor Small 5 (S-5): Costa Rica, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Switzerland
• 2010: A/64/CRP.1, Security Council reform : by the Uniting for Consensus (UfC) States: Argentina, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Spain, Türkiye, see also 2005
• 2010: G4 and South Africa, plus 133 additional states requested consolidated text as basis for negotiations, "negotiating text" request in Fassbender, page 872
• 2008: A/DEC/62/557 : Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters : continue debate in "informal plenary of the General Assembly" =IGN= Intergovernmental Negotiations (started in 2009); identifies 5 key issues
• 2007: L.69 Group :  A/61/L.69/Rev.1 : Security Council reform process
• 2006: S/2006/507 : Note [transmitting list of recent practices and newly agreed measures serving as guidance for the work of the Security Council] / by the President of the Security Council
• 2005: A/RES/60/1 :  2005 World Summit Outcome : Resolution of the General Assembly
• 2005 proposals:
  • Africa Group : A/59/L.67 : Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters 
    • 2005 Ezulwini Consensus African Union document Ext/EX.CL/2 (VII) and Sirte Declaration Assembly/AU/Decl.2 (V)
  • G4: A/59/L.64 : Security Council reform
  • UfC: A/59/L.68 : Reform of the Security Council 
• 2005: A/59/2005 : In larger freedom, para 170 endorses A/59/565 proposal
• 2004: A/59/565 : High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change : A More Secure World : Our Shared Responsibility --2 alternative models of SC reform proposed, +9 members
• 1997: Paper / by the Chair of OEWG, Ismail Razali: Razali Plan; reproduced in Report of the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters Related to the Security Council : A/51/47
• 1993:
  • A/RES/47/62 : Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council : Resolution of the General Assembly : established Open-Ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters related to the Security Council (OEWG) 
  • Security Council Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions (IWG) established: Decisions of the Security Council concerning its Working Methods | Security Council website
  • A/48/264 + Add1-10: Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council : report of the Secretary-General -- transmits replies received from Member States in response to the request in A/RES/47/62 para 1, regarding proposals related to Security Council reform

From the UN Security Council Membership research guide page: 

Originally, there were 11 members of the Security Council: 5 permanent and 6 non-permanent members. In 1963, the General Assembly recommended an amendment to the Charter to increase the membership of the Security Council (the Economic and Social Council was also expanded at this time, see the ECOSOC guide):

• A/RES/1991 (XVIII) of 17 December 1963
• Entered into force on 31 August 1965
• Increased membership from 11 to 15
• Changed the number of affirmative votes required from 7 to 9
• Set the pattern for geographic representation as follows:
  • 5 from African and Asian States
  • 1 from Eastern European States
  • 2 from Latin American States
  • 2 from Western European and other States

For more historic background, check the following UN sources:

• Charter of the United Nations (1945) research guide
• General Assembly Annotated Agenda (Preliminary List) (see guide for details)
• Repertory of Practice
• UN Yearbooks

Agenda subjects useful for UN Digital Library searches (speeches in particular) include:

• UN. SECURITY COUNCIL--MEMBERSHIP
• UN. SECURITY COUNCIL--METHODS OF WORK
• UN--ORGANIZATIONAL REFORM (more broad) 
• VETO  

Note on search strategy: In the UN Digital Library, we recommend using keywords from the full name of the UN body rather than the acronym as search terms; for example, equitable representation working group gets better results than OEWG