Description
Whilst the text of the UN Charter outlining the boundaries for collective response and the recognition of threats to international peace and security has not been altered, how states have interpreted this text has evolved significantly over time. This evolution has previously seen the Security Council recognise a range of non-traditional security threats such as HIV/AIDS and Ebola, as directly impacting on international peace and security. Yet in the aftermath of the Security Council’s slow response to the Covid-19 pandemic, there are growing questions surrounding its ability to effectively address new and emerging threats in the 21st century. Building on practice theory research this paper focuses on debates over health and climate-related security threats in order to analyse the development of evolving Charter interpretations which are beginning to shape new fault lines within the Council. Through this analysis, it is argued that Security Council practises remain distinctly fluid, whereby the shift towards a more pluralist international order is now generating further division over what it should mean to support the maintenance of international peace and security. In response, the paper outlines how the Security Council could make better use of the tools at its disposal and thus develop a more proactive approach to threat identification.
