Many of the world’s most pressing issues were discussed at the 79^th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79), which commenced on September 10th. Some of the topics included addressing climate change, promoting sustainable development, the Russia-Ukraine War, and the War in Gaza. Most importantly, on the UN’s agenda was making it more representative of the Global South.

One key reason the UN is perceived as unfair to the Global South is the lack of representation at the UN Security Council (UNSC). The UNSC consists of five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. The permanent members, known as the P5, are the US, the UK, Russia (previously the USSR), France, and China (before 1971, Taiwan/ROC represented “China”). What gives the P5 immense power is their ability to veto any resolution.

In recent years, the P5 has recognized that the UNSC needs to be more representative of the current world, and rhetorically supports including more permanent members. In November 2019, the Chinese envoy to the UN said that Beijing “supports reasonable and necessary reform of the Security Council to meet the needs of the times.” In June 2023, the foreign secretary for the UK, James Cleverly, said that the Global South deserves representation at the UNSC and supports extending permanent UNSC membership to an African country, India, and Brazil. In July 2023, the spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said Russia favours a representative UNSC, with countries from Latin America, Asia, and Africa. In September 2024, the US announced that it supported extending permanent membership for two African countries. The official policy of France supports giving permanent UNSC membership to India, Brazil, and African countries.

However, aside from rhetoric, the P5 is reluctant to include more members since it would diminish their influence. Moreover, within the Global South, it is highly contested which country or countries should receive permanent membership. For example, Pakistan vehemently opposes India’s membership. Argentina and Mexico are reluctant to accept Brazil’s permanent membership. Thus, given the politics associated with expanding the permanent membership of the UNSC, it is highly unlikely that the P5 will expand in the near future.

Nevertheless, despite the lack of representation in the UNSC, the UN’s norms on self-defense and state sovereignty have helped the Global South. According to Article 2 of the UN Charter, “the Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members” and “nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction.” Lastly, according to Article 51 of the charter, “nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations.”

Consequently, many countries in the Global South have used these principles in the UN Charter to advance their interests. In October 2019, the Turkish government argued that the incursion into northern Syria against the Kurds was justified according to Article 51 of the UN Charter. In April 2024, the Iranians justified their airstrikes against Israel in the name of “self-defense” and accused Israel’s actions in Syria of violating the UN Charter.

Additionally, resolutions passed by the UNGA have assisted the Global South since every country is given one vote. Even though these resolutions are legally non-binding, these are “powerful tools for expressing the normative consensus of international society.” An example of this was in November 2023, when the UNGA voted to end the embargo the US imposed on Cuba, insisting that it violated international law as stated in the UN Charter. In May 2024, the UNGA voted in favour of Palestine becoming a permanent member of the UN. Recently, in September 2024, the UNGA passed a resolution demanding Israel to withdraw from “its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” within 12 months.

As the Global South becomes more influential in international politics, it is tempting to view them as victims of Western neo-colonialism. However, as demonstrated by the UN, the Global South has the agency to advance its interests.