University of Melbourne experts call for reform of UN Security Council and Peacebuilding Commission

UN Summit of the Future is all set to be held from 22-23 September 2024 in New York. The occasion will see the interaction of world leaders to facilitate global cooperation on how to safeguard the future.

Study in Australia: To maintain international security, peace and prevent catastrophic wars, the experts of the University of Melbourne have called for the reform of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and the UN Security Council (UNSC).

The arguments supporting their calls are presented in a series of papers prepared by the University’s Initiative for Peacebuilding in the lead-up to the UN Summit of the Future. These papers include ‘Rising to the Challenge: how Australia can help strengthen the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission’ and ‘Transform or die: the case for reforming the UN Security Council’.

Professor John Langmore AM, Professorial Fellow and Chair of the Initiative for Peacebuilding’s Advisory Board and co-author of the ‘Transform or Die’ brief said “There is growing consensus that the Security Council will gradually fade into irrelevance if it remains unreformed and unreconstructed."

Russell Rollason AM, Senior Advisor to the Initiative for Peacebuilding and co-author of the ‘Rising to the Challenge’ brief said “Ahead of the Summit and in preparation for Australia taking a seat on the PBC in 2025, it is timely for Australia to advocate for the UN to strengthen the PBC in its role and resources. Australia could lead the development of a national prevention strategy in partnership with a country in the Pacific and include contemporary issues like climate, security and migration. This could also develop a model for the PBC and other countries. Reforming the UNSC would be a vital step in improving the UN’s capacity to fulfil its responsibility for setting international standards and regulating interstate behaviour”.

For PBC, the experts highlighted a list of key areas where they desperately need improvement including - a lack of enforcement powers, its limited resources, and its slow response to on-the-ground conflict.

The authors of these papers have advised that the country should lead the development of a national prevention strategy.

Read more:

• Study in Canada: Apply Now for University of Montreal UdeM Exemption Scholarship!
• Imperial College London to organize undergraduate Open Day on 14 September; Details Here