Monrovia, Liberia — Liberia has joined calls for significant changes to the way the United Nations Security Council conducts its business, with Ambassador Lewis G. Brown II warning that the Council’s authority ultimately depends on the confidence of the wider UN membership.
Brown, Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, delivered the statement on August 19, 2026, during the Council’s 10,210th meeting on behalf of the 10 elected members, known collectively as the E10.
The group includes Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.
The Liberian envoy argued that the Council’s internal procedures have direct consequences for its ability to respond to conflicts and other threats to international peace and security. He said the Council must therefore operate in a manner that is open, inclusive, representative and accountable.
Brown pointed to the Security Council’s mandate under the UN Charter, emphasizing that although the Council has primary responsibility for international peace and security, it exercises that responsibility on behalf of the broader UN membership.
Against that backdrop, he said member states should have meaningful opportunities to understand, influence and participate in the Council’s work.
A major concern raised by the E10 was the prolonged failure to appoint chairs and vice chairs for the Council’s subsidiary bodies.
Brown described the eight-month delay as unprecedented and warned that the stalemate has affected the functioning of those bodies, slowed decision-making and weakened the Council’s engagement with other UN members.
He acknowledged efforts by successive Council presidencies to prevent the disruption from becoming worse but maintained that temporary arrangements cannot serve as a permanent solution.
The E10 is consequently seeking improvements to Note S/2024/507, the framework governing the Council’s working methods, including clear contingency measures that would take effect when members fail to agree on subsidiary-body leadership within established deadlines.
Brown also challenged the traditional division of responsibilities between the Council’s permanent and elected members.
He argued that elected members should have a greater role in shaping Council decisions from the beginning of the drafting and negotiation process. Shared penholdership and co-penholdership, he said, could provide a practical way to broaden participation.
The ambassador further advocated greater consultation with countries directly affected by situations before the Council, saying their perspectives and firsthand experiences can help produce decisions that are more credible and easier to implement.
He also called for all Council members to receive documents related to active matters on an equal and timely basis, arguing that meaningful participation is impossible when members do not have adequate access to information.
Brown emphasized that broader participation should extend beyond governments.
He highlighted the value of Rules 37 and 39 of the Council’s Provisional Rules of Procedure, which provide avenues for affected states, UN officials, regional organizations, civil society representatives and other experts to contribute to Council deliberations.
Such participation, he said, should have a substantive impact on discussions rather than simply serving as a procedural formality. He also called for protections for civil society representatives and other participants who engage with the Council.
The E10 further urged the Council to strengthen its partnerships with regional and subregional organizations in accordance with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter.
Brown said regional actors can play an important role in preventing conflicts, mediating disputes and responding to crises in their respective regions.
He also pressed for greater consultation with countries that provide troops and police to UN peace operations, noting that their field experience should inform decisions concerning peacekeeping mandates.
On conflict prevention, Brown urged the Council to make greater use of diplomacy and other peaceful means of resolving disputes before tensions develop into major security crises.
He identified negotiation, mediation, conciliation and good offices as important instruments that should be incorporated more effectively into the Council’s approach.
The E10 also addressed the use of sanctions, supporting targeted measures where necessary while demanding stronger safeguards for fairness, due process and transparency.
Brown warned that sanctions should not unintentionally harm civilians or prevent humanitarian organizations and UN agencies from delivering assistance.
Another area of concern was the process for selecting and recommending the UN Secretary-General.
Brown argued that because the appointment affects the entire UN membership, the Security Council should conduct its part of the process with greater openness, predictability and fairness while maintaining confidentiality where required.
He also raised the issue of veto power, saying the use or threat of a veto can prevent the Council from responding to serious international crises.
The E10 encouraged greater restraint in the use of the veto, particularly in situations involving grave threats to international peace and security or serious international crimes.
Brown said members who exercise the veto should remain accountable to the wider UN membership and be prepared to explain their decisions.
The E10 reiterated its support for comprehensive reform of the Security Council through the intergovernmental negotiations mandated by the UN General Assembly.
The group said reform should ultimately produce a Council that better reflects the wider UN membership and operates with greater transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and effectiveness.
The elected members also praised Denmark, which holds the Council presidency for August, for convening the open debate on implementation of Note S/2024/507 and creating an opportunity for broader UN membership to engage on the Council’s working methods.
In his closing remarks, Brown stressed that the Council’s influence cannot depend solely on the authority granted to it by the UN Charter.
He said its effectiveness also rests on whether member states trust the institution to exercise its powers responsibly, fairly and transparently.
Brown reaffirmed the E10’s readiness to work with all members of the Council to strengthen its legitimacy and ensure it can respond more effectively to threats to international peace and security.
