Beyond the UNSC: The Rise of Regional Organizations in Global Security Governance

Authors : Fadi Hilal

Pages : 173-197

Doi:10.62393/aurum.1660469

View : 60 | Download : 34

Publication Date : 2025-12-29

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The regular incapacity of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to manage international disputes due to the veto-driven stagnation among its permanent members has increasingly pushed regional organizations into critical roles in global security governance. This paper explores how regional organizations—specifically the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the African Union (AU), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—have assumed responsibilities in conflict management and diplomacy when UNSC action is blocked. It inquires whether these organizations are able to meaningfully supplement or offset the UNSC inaction, contending that although they cannot fully substitute the Security Council, they have nevertheless emerged as indispensable actors in sustaining peace and stability. Through an analysis of NATO’s involvement in Kosovo and Afghanistan, the AU’s peacekeeping in Sudan and Mali, and ASEAN’s engagement in Myanmar and the South China Sea, the paper examines both the achievements and constraints of regional approaches. These include limited financial resources, political divisions, and continued reliance on UNSC authorization and funding. Their legal mandate, anchored in Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter and developments such as UNSC Resolution 2719 (2023), deliniates the scope of their autonomy. Additionally, the rise of non-conventional threats such as cyber conflict and climate-related insecurity poses novel challenges. The study concludes, underscoring the necessity of closer coordination with the UNSC and internal reform, so that regional organizations can contribute more effectively to a decentralized and multipolar global security order.
Keywords : BM Güvenlik Konseyi, bölgesel örgütler, NATO, Afrika Birliği, ASEAN, küresel güvenlik yönetişimi, veto yetkisi, barışı koruma, BM Şartı VIII. Bölüm, BMGK Kararı 2719

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