Abortion Laws and UN Security Council Reform: Global Perspectives

Abortion Laws: A Global Health Issue

Most countries have laws that prohibit abortion entirely or only permit it to save a woman's life. However, there is a global trend toward liberalizing abortion laws.

Unsafe Abortion: A Public Health Crisis

The World Health Organization has recognized unsafe abortion as a serious public health problem since 1967. When women facing unwanted pregnancies encounter legal restrictions, they are more likely to seek unsafe abortions. Legal restrictions directly correlate with a higher percentage of unsafe procedures, significantly impacting public health.

Even in countries with legal abortion, limited public information and inadequate medical training can hinder access to safe procedures. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Health emphasizes that criminalizing abortion contradicts the highest standard of health.

Restrictive Abortion Strategies and Their Impact

Strategies used to restrict abortion, such as waiting periods, mandatory counseling, and conscientious objection by doctors, often prioritize factors other than women's health.

Arguments suggesting that forced pregnancies prevent demographic decline or that abortion leads to mental health risks lack empirical support. Conversely, countries like Nepal, Romania, and the US (post-Roe v. Wade) demonstrate that liberalizing abortion laws reduces complications from unsafe abortions and maternal mortality.

The use of misoprostol has also significantly reduced abortion-related morbidity and mortality.

Reforming the UN Security Council for a Changing World

The UN Security Council (UNSC) has been due for reform for decades, with calls for change emerging in the 1990s. The goal is to create a more representative and effective body for addressing global security challenges.

Expanding Representation and Power

One proposal is to increase the number of UNSC members, either by adding individual nation-states or by expanding representation for underrepresented regions like the Global South.

Reducing the two European seats to one and admitting a leading member from the Global South, such as India, could achieve this without increasing the overall number of members while significantly enhancing representation.

Klaus Schlichtmann argues for maintaining the Permanent Five while adjusting the composition to reflect the changing global landscape.

Delegating "Security Sovereignty" for a More Peaceful World

Another proposal suggests that UN Member States should delegate "Security Sovereignty" to the UNSC. This would grant the UN a monopoly on the use of force, enabling it to operate an international police force, monitor disarmament, and effectively replace war as a means of resolving disputes.

To ensure accountability, the UNSC must operate within a clear framework of international law.

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Political leaders must recognize that the current global security architecture is outdated. While some nation-states fear losing sovereignty and power, a reformed UNSC can empower states by creating a more peaceful and stable world.

The ultimate goal is a world without war, where disarmament is a reality, the International Court of Justice's decisions are enforceable, an international police force maintains peace, and the veto power is abolished.