Uneasy Tenants: The Role of the Non-Permanent Members of the UNSC based on the cases of Ecuador and Germany

The Security Council is the only body at the United Nations system with mandatory and even sanctioning capacities for the fulfillment of resolutions. Since the end of the Cold War and the beginning of the war on terror, the SC has come under the scrutiny of many observers, analysts and UN Member States themselves. The basic criticism is the lack of a contemporary representation of the world’s leading nations in the Council. On the one hand, small countries wait for years and campaign strongly in order to become Non-Permanent Members for a short period of two years. On the other hand, larger states, that pursue a permanent Membership as a long term strategy, are recurring Non-Permanent Members. Why is it so important for UN-Member States to be in the SC, even as Non-Permanent Members? We will discuss this question based on two cases: Ecuador and Germany.