Pakistan and 11 Other Nations Oppose New Permanent Seats in UN Security Council

A group of 12 nations under the ‘Uniting for Consensus’ (UFC) coalition, including Pakistan, has reiterated its opposition to creating new permanent seats in the UN Security Council. Instead, they proposed expanding elected memberships alongside introducing long-term, rotatable seats. The joint position was articulated during a high-level meeting of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday.

According to the joint statement, expanding non-permanent, elected seats remains the most equitable and democratic path toward making the Security Council more representative, transparent, and accountable. The group particularly emphasized increasing representation for Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Reaffirming its resistance to any addition of permanent members, the coalition backed the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) framework as the sole legitimate and inclusive forum for Security Council reforms.

The bloc also called for the eventual abolition of the veto power, advocating immediate measures to restrict its application in critical situations involving war crimes and mass atrocities. The 12 signatory nations to the joint statement include Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Spain, and Türkiye.

Source: The Express Tribune