The problem is that you run into problem with why some countries should become permanent members and others not. Why should Germany or Japan get a seat, when Indonesia or Nigeria have much bigger population, why should India join when its GDP are lower than Italys, we run into hard question no matter how we allow new countries to join. People often suggest South Africa getting a seat, the problem here is that South African influence is only influence because all its neighbours are dysfunctional. Other suggest that we remove UK and France, the problem is that both countries are still very active and in many ways powerful international actors (just look at Mali, China would have had problems with projecting power in similar way as France).
If we reform UN we risk it to either make it even more unfair than the existing onbe, or we risk making it irrelevant. So let wait until one of these countries are strong enough to force the doors open at it own.
I didn't say that reform was particularly realistic. I'm just asking what the UNSC would like if it truly represented the globe today. My proposal takes into account both population sizes and economic sizes, and to a lesser extent, geographic balance. The four countries I mentioned are the most qualified for new permanent seats. India's massive population alone gives it the moral right to permanent representation. Although Japan is declining, it's still the third largest economy. Brazil would add much to the geographic diversity. (I also do not buy into the argument that Brazil would be unrepresentative of Latin America just because it speaks Portuguese. It has one-thire of Latin America's population, and Spanish-speaking America is still represented by two seats). Germany actually has the weakest case of these four countries. It's just that the permanent seats of the UK and France cannot be justified without Germany's inclusion.
Yes, many countries would be jealous. However, there should be less envy since none of the new members would have veto power anyway. Also, there would be a reduction of unfair competition for rotating seats between large countries and much smaller ones. Japan's inclusion would help provide Papua New Guinea a better chance at a rotating seat.
It is no longer 1945. Unfortunately, the UNSC may always make it look like it is 1945.
