Pakistan joins 11 other countries in opposing new permanent UN Security Council seats

Pakistan and 11 other countries from the Uniting for Consensus group have opposed the creation of additional permanent seats on the UN Security Council, instead calling for more elected members, including longer-term rotational seats.

The group includes Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Pakistan, South Korea, San Marino, Spain and Türkiye.

It issued its position during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly’s 81st session.

The countries said expanding elected membership would make the Security Council more representative and strengthen participation from regions that remain underrepresented, particularly Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The group reaffirmed its opposition to creating new permanent seats and backed the Intergovernmental Negotiations process as the established forum for discussing Security Council reform.

On the veto, the group said it supports its eventual abolition while also calling for immediate efforts to restrict its use in situations involving mass atrocities and war crimes.

The group said it would continue working with the General Assembly leadership and other member states during the 81st session to pursue broader Security Council reform through dialogue, flexibility and consensus.