Violent Non-State Actors at the UN Security Council

• In Event: International Dimensions of Elite Decision-Making in Civil Wars

Abstract

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is the realm of great powers and other
representatives of recognized states. Yet in carrying out its responsibilities for the maintenance of peace, the UNSC sometimes invites non-state actors, and even leaders of armed groups, to formally participate in its proceedings. Why do these rebel leaders go to the UNSC? When and why are they invited? Building on both an original database of all non-state actor appearances at the UNSC from 1989-2015 and interviews and archival research, this paper considers competing answers to these questions. We examine three key conflicts in Liberia, South Sudan, and Kosovo and ask why some rebels are welcomed to the UNSC (South Sudan), why some are
excluded (Liberia), and why some are included, even when it seems against the interests of one
or more of the UNSC’s permanent members (Kosovo). The comparative case studies allow us to
adjudicate between material, reputational, and legitimacy-based explanations of the
phenomenon. The findings add to our understanding of the ways in which the UNSC’s role in
international politics has shifted since the 1990s. This has real implications for states’ abilities and opportunities to pursue their aims through the UNSC.

Authors

• Jennifer Raymond Dresden, Georgetown University

• Anjali Kaushlesh Dayal, Fordham University