This ANU Research School of Asia Pacific New Research Directions Grant project examines the emergence and evolution of the role of Political Coordinators on the UN Security Council, with a focus on their impact on the UNSC’s decision-making process. Each UNSC member state appoints a Political Coordinator, whose role is to liaise with the Political Coordinators of other UNSC delegations to harmonise and coordinate the UNSC’s collective decision-making activities.
The project will focus on a series of in-depth interviews with strategically-chosen individuals who have recently performed the role of Political Coordinator for Pacific Rim countries, including Australia, the Republic of Korea, Mexico and New Zealand. Techniques of regulatory, international relations and international legal theory will be employed to understand and explain how and to what extent these Pacific Rim Political Coordinators influenced collective decision-making both internally (within their own national delegation) and externally (in the UN Security Council).
One outcome of the project will be the mapping and understanding the major concrete achievements and challenges of four strategically-identified Political Coordinators whose countries are located on the Pacific Rim: Mexico, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand. Interviews with diplomats from these countries will identify the major challenges confronted and achievements made during their term as elected member of the Security Council.
SCAN: Security Council Analysis Network 