The Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) is a concept and a framework of nation-states operating within the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to advance the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The process originated from the need to update the UNSC's structure, which reflects the geopolitical realities of 1945 and not the current global balance of power. Formal discussions began with the Open-ended Working Group in 1993, and Member States decided to move to the IGN process in September 2007. The IGN was established to solve the problem of the UNSC's outdated composition, lack of representation for regions like Africa and Latin America, and the paralyzing effect of the veto power held by the five permanent members (P5).
The mechanism of the IGN is guided by UNGA decision 62/557 of 2008, which outlines the five key issues under consideration: categories of membership, the question of the veto, regional representation, the size of an enlarged Council, and the relationship between the Council and the General Assembly. The negotiations are conducted in an informal setting, though a framework document was agreed upon in 2015 to serve as a basis for future talks. The IGN connects to several key groups, including the G4 nations (India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan), which seek permanent membership, and the Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group, which opposes the expansion of permanent seats. Recently, the process has seen changes to enhance transparency, such as the webcasting of the first segment of IGN meetings and the establishment of a specific website for documents, as welcomed in a letter dated March 3, 2023. The core issues and the member-driven nature of the negotiations, however, have stayed the same.