The Uniting for Consensus coalition reiterated its firm opposition to the creation of new permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council, advocating instead for an expansion of elected, non-permanent membership and longer-term rotational seats.
The joint declaration was issued during the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly by representatives from the 12-nation group, which includes Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Pakistan, South Korea, San Marino, Spain, and Türkiye. The coalition stated that its shared goal is to foster a more democratic, representative, transparent, and accountable Security Council capable of addressing modern global security challenges while adhering to the core principles of sovereign equality among member states.
Advocacy for Democratic Representation and Regional Equity
The coalition emphasized that expanding non-permanent, elected seats offers the most equitable framework to address the historical underrepresentation of specific regions without creating permanent power imbalances.
According to the group's statement, an expanded system of elected seats represents the fairest approach to ensuring proper representation for Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Uniting for Consensus reaffirmed its backing for the Intergovernmental Negotiations process, describing it as the sole legitimate and inclusive member-state-led platform for discussing structural Council reform. The group urged member states to pursue comprehensive reform grounded in dialogue, flexibility, and political compromise across the five interconnected areas of Security Council reform.
Proposals on Veto Limitation and Intergovernmental Process
Addressing the veto power currently held by the five permanent members, the coalition stated that while it ultimately supports the complete abolition of the veto, immediate interim measures must be taken to restrict its usage.
The statement called for joint international action to limit the veto in specific, high-gravity circumstances, particularly those involving war crimes and mass atrocities. The coalition highlighted established frameworks, such as the Franco-Mexican Initiative and the Accountability, Coherence, and Transparency Code of Conduct, as practical mechanisms to curb veto usage during severe human rights crises. Uniting for Consensus expressed its readiness to collaborate with the UN General Assembly leadership, incoming negotiation co-chairs, and the broader UN membership to advance structural reform during the 81st session.
