Withers partner Floriane Lavaud publishes Empowering the UN Security Council with Oxford University Press

Floriane Lavaud, public international law partner at international law firm Withers, and Mona Ali Khalil, Director of MAK LAW International and former Senior Legal Officer of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency, today announced the release of their book, Empowering the UN Security Council: Reforms to Address Modern Threats.

The book, co-edited by Floriane and Mona and published by Oxford University Press, features contributions from a distinguished group of co-authors including UN diplomats, legal practitioners and academics, as well as a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. It provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges and opportunities in enhancing the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) ability to maintain international peace and security in an increasingly unstable and unpredictable global order.

Across ten chapters, the book explores several areas of potential reform, without amending the UN Charter, to improve the representative character of the UNSC, empower its elected members, limit the use of the veto, and bolster its capacity to address modern threats, such as aggression and mass atrocity crimes. It also explores the UNSC’s relationships with internal and external partners, advocating for greater collaboration with the UN General Assembly, enhanced roles of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, and stronger cooperation with regional organizations.

"Now more than ever, we must empower the UN Security Council through reforms to effectively address modern threats to international peace and security,” said Floriane. “This book brings together an international cast of experts across disciplines and all five regions of the world. Through our work, we hope to offer a roadmap toward a more legitimate and effective UNSC."

Mona adds: "In light of the converging crises and existential threats, we hope that the UN Member States are aware of the moral and practical imperative of adhering to the UN’s principles and fulfilling the UN’s purposes for the sake of current and future generations."