Pakistan, Aug. 13 -- Every few years, New York rediscovers that the United Nations Security Council cannot indefinitely claim to represent the world while looking so much like the world of 1945. Its only enlargement came more than six decades ago, when membership rose from 11 to 15. The problem is easy to diagnose. The argument is over who should inherit the privilege.

That argument has sharpened again in 2026. The General Assembly's Intergovernmental Negotiations met repeatedly from January through June, yet the central fault line remains intact. The G4 - Brazil, Germany, India and Japan - says more than 110 UN members now support expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories. The Uniting for Consensus group, of which Pakista...