Can Japan Please Stand Up?

Japan’s bid for a UNSC permanent seat: pipe dream or viability?

July 3, 2008
By Willhemina Wahlin and Dr Kaoru Natsuda

There seems to be one point agreed on by almost everyone when it comes to the United Nations Security Council: It’s a time capsule of the post-World War II global power structure, hardly representative of the 21st Century political landscape, and reform is badly needed. But here the consensus comes to an abrupt halt. The sticking point: everyone seems to want an expansion of the permanent seats available, but no one can seem to agree on how many, and to whom the honor should be bestowed upon—and why. Japan has long been campaigning for permanent membership of one of the most exclusive clubs in the world, but it has an uphill battle ahead if it is to convince its closest neighbors that it deserves one. But the real question is, does anyone really deserve a seat?

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This article was originally published in issue 78 of J@pan Inc Magazine. Illustration by Shane Busato for J@pan Inc Magazine.

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