Can Japan shake up the UN Security Council? Ishiba to make last-ditch appeal

SCMP | Sept. 23, 2025, 5:43 a.m. | Original

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addresses the press at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo on Tuesday before flying to New York for a UN General Assembly meeting. Photo: Kyodo

Ishiba left for New York on Tuesday morning, telling reporters just before his departure, “After reflecting on the 80 years since the founding of the United Nations, I would like to state that now is the time to carry out Security Council reform.”

He is scheduled to speak during the UN General Debate session on Wednesday morning, Tokyo time.

Analysts note that Ishiba’s push reflects a goal successive Japanese governments have pursued for nearly two decades and has backing from several other member states. But they caution it is unlikely to gain traction with the Security Council’s five permanent members – the United States , United Kingdom , , Russia and China – who are determined to protect their veto power and broader influence.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba steps down

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba steps down

“Japan has long harboured ambitions of reforming the Security Council and becoming a permanent member of an enlarged council, but I would say that aim is completely unrealistic at this point,” said Ben Ascione, an assistant professor of politics and international relations at Tokyo’s Waseda University.

“The present five permanent members do not want expansion because it is in their own interests to keep the council the way it is and to protect their power, but even if an agreement could be reached on expansion then I think there are a number of other countries – Germany, India and Brazil, among others – that have a better claim than Japan,” he told This Week in Asia.

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