Since January five of the diplomatically most progressive and able small states have been seated at the United Nations Security Council table. This monumental asymmetry – five Davids alongside the permanent five Goliaths – offers interesting possibilities for an organisation in which most members are impatient for reform. So what are the prospects for the quintet of Ireland, Jamaica, Mauritius, Norway and Singapore to make their mark?
Nearly half of the United Nations’ member states – 84 of 189 – have populations below five million. Their numbers have increased during the last decade – of the thirty-two newcomers twenty-four were small states, fifteen from Europe and seven from the South Pacific.
