This article reassesses how members of the UN Security Council exercise influence over the Council’s decision-making process, with particular focus on the ten elected members (the E10). A common understanding of Security Council dynamics accords predominance to the five permanent members (the P5), suggesting bleak prospects for the Council as a forum that promotes the voices and representation of the 188 non-permanent members. The assumption is that real power rests with the P5, while the E10 are there to make up the numbers. By articulating a richer account of Council dynamics, this article contests the conventional wisdom that P5 centrality crowds out space for the E10 to influence Council decision-making. It also shows that opportunities for influencing Council decision-making go beyond stints of elected membership. It argues that the assumed centrality of the P5 on the Council thus needs to be qualified and re-evaluated.

中文翻译：

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Elected member influence in the United Nations Security Council

本文重新评估了联合国安全理事会成员如何对安理会的决策过程产生影响，特别关注十名选民（E10）。对安理会动态的共识使五个常任理事国（五常）占主导地位，这表明安理会作为一个促进 188 个非常任理事国发言权和代表性的论坛的前景黯淡。假设是 P5 拥有真正的权力，而 E10 则是为了弥补数字。通过阐述对理事会动态的更丰富的描述，本文对 P5 的中心性挤占了 E10 影响理事会决策的空间的传统观点提出了质疑。It also shows that opportunities for influencing Council decision-making go beyond stints of elected membership.