Japanese Prime Minister Calls for Reform of UN Security Council

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for reform of the United Nations Security Council, arguing that its current structure reflects the geopolitical realities of 1945 rather than those of the present day.

Speaking before the UN General Assembly, Takaichi said the council's permanent membership and voting arrangements have not kept pace with changes in the global balance of power over the past eight decades, according to TASS.

Japan has long advocated for a permanent seat on the Security Council, alongside countries such as Germany, India and Brazil, as part of broader efforts to expand the body beyond its five permanent members: the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France.

Calls for Security Council reform have repeatedly stalled at the United Nations, with permanent members reluctant to dilute their veto power and disagreements persisting among member states over which countries should be granted expanded roles.

Takaichi's remarks add Japan's voice to a long-running debate over how to make the UN's most powerful body more representative of the current international order, though any formal changes would require agreement from the current permanent members.