Current UNSC structure no longer reflects geopolitical realities of 2026: Aizaz Chaudhry
Former Pakistani diplomat stresses comprehensive UN reform
Islamabad: Former Pakistani diplomat Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry has said the current structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) no longer reflects the geopolitical realities of 2026, making comprehensive reform essential.
According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking in a media interview on UNSC reform and Pakistan’s position, Chaudhry said the Council’s composition had remained largely unchanged since 1965, despite the UN’s membership expanding to 193 countries.
He said the central disagreement over reform was between countries seeking an increase in elected, non-permanent seats and those advocating the addition of new permanent members.
Chaudhry said Pakistan supported the Uniting for Consensus model, which favours expanding rotating, elected non-permanent seats rather than creating additional permanent memberships.
He described permanent membership as undemocratic and argued that increasing elected seats would provide more equitable representation to regions that remain underrepresented, particularly Africa and Latin America.
Chaudhry said Pakistan opposed permanent seats for India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, arguing that adding more permanent members would further privilege powerful countries within the international system.
He said India’s alleged non-compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, particularly those concerning the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, was another reason Pakistan could not accept New Delhi’s bid for permanent membership.
Chaudhry also warned that expanding the permanent membership and veto system could further paralyse the UN Security Council. He recalled the deadlock witnessed during the Cold War and said the increasing use of vetoes in recent years had already weakened the Council’s effectiveness.
He stressed that any meaningful reform should make the Security Council more representative, democratic and effective while ensuring greater participation of states that are currently underrepresented.
Chaudhry’s remarks reaffirm Pakistan’s longstanding position that UNSC reform should prioritise broader regional representation through elected seats rather than create another tier of permanently privileged states
