On March 1, 2023, Mali submitted a letter to the Security Council president rejecting France as penholder on all issues concerning Mali, claiming France was responsible for “acts of aggression, violation of our airspace, subversion and destabilization.” Though Mali’s demand for a new penholder has not found support among the Council, this incident calls for a renewed look at the penholder system and may present an opportunity to promote greater inclusivity and unity in how the Council produces outcomes, particularly when it comes to context-specific matters.

Penholder diversification has become a noted topic of discussion in recent months, raised by the Security Council’s ten elected members (E10) in a joint statement at the 2022 Open Debate on Working Methods of the Security Council, and by Russia through the subsequent organization of an Arria-formula meeting on penholdership. While, for a number of reasons, a full overhaul of the penholder system would not be practical or appropriate, increased sharing of the pen could support a more united and representative Council in the near term. A more inclusive approach could help build the foundation for broader reform of Council membership while also addressing concerns voiced by elected members, as well as several peacekeeping host states.

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