With Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine exposing the United Nations as a malfunctioning world body, foreign policy observers say the time may have come for Japan and other nations to push anew for drastic reform.
Even minor changes to the system of five permanent Security Council members holding veto power is likely to be difficult due to that very power itself. But experts say the world can make a start by first tackling more attainable goals, such as expanding nonpermanent seats on the council and boosting the role of the General Assembly as a forum for expressing international opinion.
Japan, meanwhile, which has long aimed to become a permanent Security Council member, should take advantage of this reform "tail wind" to seek changes that would allow it to hold down a nonpermanent seat — and thus assert its presence in the council's discussions, for longer periods of time, according to the experts.