Can Saudi Withdrawal From Security Council Spark Dialogue?

While unfortunate, the withdrawal of Saudi Arabia from the UN Security Council may focus attention on the lack of an Arab voice at the UN.
Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird (L) shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud before a meeting of the Group of Friends of the Syrian People during 68th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York, September 26, 2013. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX1418C
Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird (L) shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud before a meeting of the Group of Friends of the Syrian People at UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 26, 2013. - REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
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Clovis Maksoud

During the last few days much has been written in the Arab press about Saudi Arabia's turning down the UN Security Council seat to which it had been elected.

At the outset, I am not going to render a judgment on the Saudi decision, but I seek to give a short background on the subject of Arab representation on the UN Security Council.

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