Annan Wants Security Council to Grow to Better Reflect World

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 8 — Hoping to use the Iraq crisis to kick-start the stalled process of overhauling the United Nations, Secretary General Kofi Annan today suggested enlarging the Security Council to make it more representative of 21st-century geopolitical realities.

While more specific proposals will be unveiled in his speech to the General Assembly in two weeks, Mr. Annan indicated that he would favor expanding the number of permanent Council members, now five nations, each with veto power, and the elected membership, 10 countries serving staggered two-year terms.

In a report issued shortly before the news conference, Mr. Annan said the decisions of the Security Council increasingly "lack legitimacy in the eyes of the developing world, which feels that its views and interests are insufficiently represented among the decision makers."

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/09/international/09NATI.html?th
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This is a rather good idea. Perhaps it would help curb Western dominance of the UN.

Vetoes are exactly why the UN is accused of being a do-nothing org. BTW - the US vetoes more than any of 'em.

- majority to pass routine resolutions
- 2/3 majority to approve military action
- Expand the number of participating countries, and adjust regional/continental proportions to correspond with the gross population in those regions

A lot of changes to the Un should be done, but I think this plan by Kofi Annan is a good first step.