Examining the role of region and elections on representation in the UN Security Council

Lai, Brian; Lefler, Vanessa A.

doi:10.1007/s11558-016-9254-z

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Data on government ideology come from the database of political institutions (Scartascini et al, 2017). Second, executive heads may be more likely selected if their home country aligns with many other member states in international politics (Lai and Lefler, 2017). Having an executive head from a country that has similar preferences in international politics is likely preferable in order to achieve one’s goals at a given IO.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediating power? Delegation, pooling and leadership selection at international organisations

Heinzel

2021

The British Journal of Politics and International Relations

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The selection of the executive heads of international organisations represents a key decision in the politics of international organisations. However, we know little about what dynamics influence this selection. The article focuses on the nationality of selected executive heads. It argues that institutional design impacts the factors that influence leadership selection by shaping the costs and benefits of attaining the position for member states’ nationals. The argument is tested with novel data on the nationality of individuals in charge of 69 international organization bureaucracies between 1970 and 2017. Two findings stand out: first, powerful countries are more able to secure positions in international organisations in which executive heads are voted in by majority voting. Second, less consistent evidence implies that powerful countries secure more positions when bureaucracies are authoritative. The findings have implications for debates on international cooperation by illustrating how power and institutions interact in the selection of international organisation executive heads.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediating power? Delegation, pooling and leadership selection at international organisations

Heinzel

2021

The British Journal of Politics and International Relations

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“…(2016) are clear that Executive Directors are not representatives in a substantive sense, but that they merely ‘stand for’ the groups that elected them. Similarly, analysing voting behaviour of regional group representatives in the SC, Lai and Lefler (2017) find that although regions do exhibit preference similarities, elected non-permanent members do not necessarily vote in line with preferences of their regions. Instead, they are more likely to vote in line with states of similar economic status.…”

Section: Representing States: Regional Representationmentioning

confidence: 98%

The UN Secretary-General, role expansion and narratives of representation in the 2016 campaign

Haack

2018

The British Journal of Politics and International Relations

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The contribution of bureaucratic actors, such as those of the UN Secretary-General, has been a focus in the study of individuals' contribution to international relations and the study of UN reform. In this context, role expansion has been a central concern. In January 2017 a new Secretary-General took office on the 38th floor of the United Nations, following a successful campaign to reform the selection process by increasing its transparency. Despite different campaign foci, campaign groups framed their claims for reform in the context of 'representation', which shaped expectations and understanding of the role and its authority. Expectations play a key role in role expansion beyond personality, leeway or institutional demand. This paper discusses the representation of states, gender and the people as referents for the SG's role, which corresponds to campaign claims regarding regional rotation, a woman Secretary-General and greater independence for the Secretary-General.

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“…Since adopting the agenda required seven affirmative votes without a right to veto for permanent members, controlling the majority of rotating members turned a significant tool for any great power in setting the agenda of the Council. Therefore, major powers had important motivation in screening and promoting candidates from regions that are likely to support their positions in the Council (Lai & Lefler, 2017). Finally, each vote has a power to increase or decrease the legitimacy of the draft resolution in question.…”

Section: Why Elected Members Mat Ter and How Gre At Powers Get Themmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controlling International Institutions: How the US Engineered UNSC Non‐permanent Members in the Early Cold War

Balcı

2022

Global Policy

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How did the US shape the composition of the UN Security Council during the early Cold War period? By focusing on the election of non‐permanent members to Council seats, this paper investigates what role the US played in the nomination and election of candidate countries. In doing so, the study relies heavily on US diplomatic archives since those archival materials are rich in terms of voting preferences of UN members, negotiations between the US and its allies, and Washington's intensive lobbying for candidates. Investigating contested elections from 1946 to 1964, we find that although the US had an extensive influence on determining Council's non‐permanent members, its power to influence election outcomes dramatically weakened from the late 1950s onwards. This finding has important implications for the recent literature on the UN Security Council.

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Examining the role of region and elections on representation in the UN Security Council

Cited by 10 publications

References 30 publications

Mediating power? Delegation, pooling and leadership selection at international organisations

Mediating power? Delegation, pooling and leadership selection at international organisations

The UN Secretary-General, role expansion and narratives of representation in the 2016 campaign

Controlling International Institutions: How the US Engineered UNSC Non‐permanent Members in the Early Cold War

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