Institutional power file · United Nations
UN Security Council
How permanent-member vetoes, Council voting and member-state implementation shape the UN's strongest formal security powers.
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8 related pieces2026-09-23
News
News
France Drafts UN Security Council Proposal for International Hormuz Shipping Mission
Paris is working with Washington on a Security Council resolution aimed at restoring commercial movement through the Strait of Hormuz.
2026-09-29
Analysis
Analysis
The UN's Legitimacy Problem Is Increasingly About Who Gets to Exercise Power
Calls for African representation and Security Council reform reflect a widening gap between the UN's universal membership and the concentrated authority of its postwar institutions.
2026-09-25
Analysis
Analysis
The UN Reform Fight Is Really a Fight Over Who Gets to Freeze Power in Place
Turkey wants to abolish permanent Security Council membership and the veto. Russia supports adding permanent members while preserving the veto. The disagreement reveals the central problem of institutional reform: rising powers want representation, while established powers want expansion without dilution.
2026-09-23
News
News
Guterres Uses Final UN General Assembly Address to Call for AI Oversight and Institutional Reform
The UN secretary-general urged governments to strengthen global oversight of artificial intelligence and reform international institutions as his second term approaches its end.
2026-09-22
Analysis
Analysis
Europe's War Preparedness Problem Is No Longer Just About How Much It Spends
European governments are increasing defence spending, but the harder preparedness test increasingly concerns drones, infrastructure, industrial capacity, civil resilience and whether institutions can respond quickly to hybrid attacks.
2026-09-20
Analysis
Analysis
The UN General Assembly Opens Under Pressure From War, AI and a Crisis of Multilateral Confidence
Nearly 130 leaders are heading to New York as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East collide with disputes over AI governance, UN funding and the institution's future leadership.
2026-09-20
Analysis
Analysis
Bachelet's Exit Narrows the Race to Lead a UN Under Unusual Strain
The former Chilean president has withdrawn from the contest to succeed António Guterres after losing support in an informal Security Council poll.
2026-09-14
Analysis
Analysis
South Korea's Housing Politics Is Eating Another Presidency
Lee Jae-myung's approval slump illustrates a recurring democratic problem: voters demand cheaper homes while existing owners resist policies that could reduce their wealth.
Primary record
Start with the institution itself
These links provide the formal rules or institutional description underlying this power file. State & Power analysis is kept separate from the primary record.