A presente tese trata do objetivo brasileiro de ocupar uma cadeira permanente no Conselho de Segurança das Nações Unidas. Primeiramente, aborda-se o tema da reforma do Conselho sob uma perspectiva geral, apresentando-se uma retrospectiva histórica e explanando a composição e o método decisório desse Órgão. Na seqüência, parte-se para o debate sobre a reforma, enfatizando-se o posicionamento dos principais grupos de países. A partir daí, passa-se a analisar o tema sob a ótica dos interesses brasileiros, analisando-se a intenção em ocupar uma cadeira permanente quando da criação das Nações Unidas, assim como o posicionamento brasileiro sobre as atividades do Conselho e as perspectivas de reforma no período entre 1945 e 1992, ano este em que a Assembléia Geral passou a tratar oficialmente dessa questão. Uma vez que o tema passou a ser estudado pela Organização Internacional, a presente pesquisa analisa a candidatura brasileira a membro permanente nos governos Itamar Franco, Fernando Henrique Cardoso e Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a fim de se comparar como o tema da reforma foi abordado por cada um deles. Ao final, conclui-se que as políticas adotadas por esses governos foram diferentes. No governo Itamar, não obstante o curto período, percebe-se grande empenho quando do lançamento da candidatura brasileira. Por outro lado, Fernando Henrique, ao assumir a Presidência da República, deu continuidade às pretensões brasileiras, porém de forma mais tímida. O Presidente Lula, por sua vez, retomou a importância do tema, empenhando-se cada vez mais para alcançar esse objetivo. No entanto, também se pôde perceber que fatores externos influenciaram as políticas adotadas. / This paper concerns about the Brazilian purpose to become a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations. First of all, it presents the issue about the reform of the Security Council, presenting an historical review and explaining its composition, functions and powers. Next, it deals with the discussion about the reform, emphasizing the opinion of the main group of States. From then on, it turns to analyze the subject matter on the Brazilian interest’s point of view, observing the intention to occupy a permanent seat by the time of the UN creation, as well as the Brazilian opinion about the Council activities and the possibility of a reform between 1945 e 1992, the year the General Assembly officially became concerned. Once the issue turned to be examined by this International Organization, this research analyses the Brazilian candidacy for a permanent seat during the governments of Itamar Franco, Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in order to compare how the reform issue was deal by each one. At the end, it concludes that the policies they put in force were different one another. During Itamar’s period, despite its shortness, it shows great commitment to become a permanent member. On the other hand, when Fernando Henrique acceded the Presidency, he kept the same goals, but not that hard. The President Lula, in his turn, rescued the importance and focused that aim. Nevertheless external matters affected those policies.

A presente tese trata do objetivo brasileiro de ocupar uma cadeira permanente no Conselho de Segurança das Nações Unidas. Primeiramente, aborda-se o tema da reforma do Conselho sob uma perspectiva geral, apresentando-se uma retrospectiva histórica e explanando a composição e o método decisório desse Órgão. Na seqüência, parte-se para o debate sobre a reforma, enfatizando-se o posicionamento dos principais grupos de países. A partir daí, passa-se a analisar o tema sob a ótica dos interesses brasileiros, analisando-se a intenção em ocupar uma cadeira permanente quando da criação das Nações Unidas, assim como o posicionamento brasileiro sobre as atividades do Conselho e as perspectivas de reforma no período entre 1945 e 1992, ano este em que a Assembléia Geral passou a tratar oficialmente dessa questão. Uma vez que o tema passou a ser estudado pela Organização Internacional, a presente pesquisa analisa a candidatura brasileira a membro permanente nos governos Itamar Franco, Fernando Henrique Cardoso e Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a fim de se comparar como o tema da reforma foi abordado por cada um deles. Ao final, conclui-se que as políticas adotadas por esses governos foram diferentes. No governo Itamar, não obstante o curto período, percebe-se grande empenho quando do lançamento da candidatura brasileira. Por outro lado, Fernando Henrique, ao assumir a Presidência da República, deu continuidade às pretensões brasileiras, porém de forma mais tímida. O Presidente Lula, por sua vez, retomou a importância do tema, empenhando-se cada vez mais para alcançar esse objetivo. No entanto, também se pôde perceber que fatores externos influenciaram as políticas adotadas. / This paper concerns about the Brazilian purpose to become a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations. First of all, it presents the issue about the reform of the Security Council, presenting an historical review and explaining its composition, functions and powers. Next, it deals with the discussion about the reform, emphasizing the opinion of the main group of States. From then on, it turns to analyze the subject matter on the Brazilian interest’s point of view, observing the intention to occupy a permanent seat by the time of the UN creation, as well as the Brazilian opinion about the Council activities and the possibility of a reform between 1945 e 1992, the year the General Assembly officially became concerned. Once the issue turned to be examined by this International Organization, this research analyses the Brazilian candidacy for a permanent seat during the governments of Itamar Franco, Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in order to compare how the reform issue was deal by each one. At the end, it concludes that the policies they put in force were different one another. During Itamar’s period, despite its shortness, it shows great commitment to become a permanent member. On the other hand, when Fernando Henrique acceded the Presidency, he kept the same goals, but not that hard. The President Lula, in his turn, rescued the importance and focused that aim. Nevertheless external matters affected those policies.

A presente tese trata do objetivo brasileiro de ocupar uma cadeira permanente no Conselho de Segurança das Nações Unidas. Primeiramente, aborda-se o tema da reforma do Conselho sob uma perspectiva geral, apresentando-se uma retrospectiva histórica e explanando a composição e o método decisório desse Órgão. Na seqüência, parte-se para o debate sobre a reforma, enfatizando-se o posicionamento dos principais grupos de países. A partir daí, passa-se a analisar o tema sob a ótica dos interesses brasileiros, analisando-se a intenção em ocupar uma cadeira permanente quando da criação das Nações Unidas, assim como o posicionamento brasileiro sobre as atividades do Conselho e as perspectivas de reforma no período entre 1945 e 1992, ano este em que a Assembléia Geral passou a tratar oficialmente dessa questão. Uma vez que o tema passou a ser estudado pela Organização Internacional, a presente pesquisa analisa a candidatura brasileira a membro permanente nos governos Itamar Franco, Fernando Henrique Cardoso e Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a fim de se comparar como o tema da reforma foi abordado por cada um deles. Ao final, conclui-se que as políticas adotadas por esses governos foram diferentes. No governo Itamar, não obstante o curto período, percebe-se grande empenho quando do lançamento da candidatura brasileira. Por outro lado, Fernando Henrique, ao assumir a Presidência da República, deu continuidade às pretensões brasileiras, porém de forma mais tímida. O Presidente Lula, por sua vez, retomou a importância do tema, empenhando-se cada vez mais para alcançar esse objetivo. No entanto, também se pôde perceber que fatores externos influenciaram as políticas adotadas. / This paper concerns about the Brazilian purpose to become a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations. First of all, it presents the issue about the reform of the Security Council, presenting an historical review and explaining its composition, functions and powers. Next, it deals with the discussion about the reform, emphasizing the opinion of the main group of States. From then on, it turns to analyze the subject matter on the Brazilian interest’s point of view, observing the intention to occupy a permanent seat by the time of the UN creation, as well as the Brazilian opinion about the Council activities and the possibility of a reform between 1945 e 1992, the year the General Assembly officially became concerned. Once the issue turned to be examined by this International Organization, this research analyses the Brazilian candidacy for a permanent seat during the governments of Itamar Franco, Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in order to compare how the reform issue was deal by each one. At the end, it concludes that the policies they put in force were different one another. During Itamar’s period, despite its shortness, it shows great commitment to become a permanent member. On the other hand, when Fernando Henrique acceded the Presidency, he kept the same goals, but not that hard. The President Lula, in his turn, rescued the importance and focused that aim. Nevertheless external matters affected those policies.

This thesis focuses on the correlation of the UNSC voting behaviour of the People's Republic of China and its foreign policy. China's importance as a global power at the platform of the UN has been rising ever since 1971, the year of China's admittance as a new member of the UN and more importantly also the permanent member of the Security Council with the power of veto. Given that the veto power strongly influences the actions of the UNSC, its use has served as a major indicator of what issues are considered as most unfavourable and threatening to China's national interests and foreign policy goals. This thesis elaborates on the development of the foreign policy of China, which has changed significantly since the year of its acquired UN membership but has also kept many principles, present even before the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. By specifically concentrating on the individual cast vetoes, also considering the use of a so-called hidden veto and the reasons behind them being cast, this thesis tries to find out, how China has been using its veto power with regards to its declared foreign policy objectives within the UN Security Council.

In 1948 the international community in reaction to the horrors of the holocaust sought to eradicate genocide forever by creating the 'Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide'. This Convention criminalised the preparation and act of genocide by international law, making all individuals accountable irrelevant of status or sovereignty. But the Convention has not been enough to deter the act of genocide from occurring again, and again, and again. Worst, the international community has been slow to react to cases of genocide. The problem with preventing and punishing genocide is hindered by the power and right of veto held by permanent members of the UNSC. The UNSC has been given the responsibility to maintain international peace and security and is the only entity that can mandate an intervention that overrides the principle of non-intervention. The aim of this thesis is to show that the veto has been a crucial factor in stopping the prevention of genocide, thus it is imperative that the veto change. This study argues that to effectively prevent and punish genocide the veto needs to be barred from use in cases of genocide. It looks at different cases since the Armenian genocide during WWI through to the Darfur genocide which is still in process. The case of Armenia is significant because for the first time, members of the international community were prepared to hold leaders of another state accountable for their treatment of their own citizens. However the collective will to bring justice to those accountable waned coming to an abrupt end in 1923. The holocaust followed in WWII; six million Jews died, and numerous other groups were targeted under the Nazi's serial genocide. The shock of the holocaust led to the Genocide Convention. But thirty years later during the Cold War, Cambodia became embroiled in a genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge. The international community silently stood by. The USSR, China, and the US all had their reasons to stay out of Cambodia, from supporting a regime with a likeminded political ideology to war weariness from Vietnam. In the 1990s, genocides in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Kosovo) followed. The former was neglected by the US's unwillingness to be involved in another peacekeeping disaster. The two genocides in the former Yugoslavia were affected by Russia and China's reluctance to use military force even after the clear failure of serial negotiations. Finally, in 2003 Darfur became the latest tragedy of genocide. Again, Russia and China have been timid of calling the conflict genocide thus avoiding any affirmative action to stop it. These cases all show that where one state is unwilling to be involved in stopping genocide, their right and power to the veto stops or delays the international community from preventing and punishing genocide, regardless of whether the veto is used or merely seen as a threat. Therefore, for future prevention of genocide, the veto needs to be changed to prevent its use in times of genocide.