12-Country Group Opposes New Permanent Seats in UN Security Council Reform Push

A coalition of 12 countries has voiced opposition to creating new permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council as part of ongoing reform discussions, instead backing an expansion of the council's elected membership, according to a report from Anadolu Agency.

The group, known as Uniting for Consensus, has proposed longer-term rotational seats as an alternative to new permanent members, along with limits on the use of veto power in cases involving mass atrocities. The coalition's position reflects a long-standing alternative approach to Security Council reform that has competed with proposals favoring the addition of new permanent members.

A long-running reform debate

Discussions over reforming the UN Security Council, whose current structure of five permanent, veto-wielding members dates back to 1945, have continued for decades without resulting in a binding overhaul. Various blocs of countries have pushed competing visions for reform, with some advocating for additional permanent seats, citing the growing economic and political weight of countries not currently represented on a permanent basis, while Uniting for Consensus has consistently argued that expanding the elected, non-permanent category offers a more equitable and achievable path to broader representation.

The proposal to limit veto use in cases of mass atrocities echoes similar reform ideas that have circulated at the UN in recent years, aimed at preventing the council's five permanent members from blocking action in situations involving large-scale violence against civilians.

The report did not specify which 12 countries make up the coalition in this instance or provide additional detail on the specific proposals for elected-seat rotation being advanced.