This report aims to contribute to a growing research agenda on internal dynamics in the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the role of the selected states (E10). Studying the role of the elected states is important because research shows that there has been a growing interest among states to hold one of the elected council seats, but our understanding of E10 strategies and effects is still more limited. Research also indicates that the possibilities for selected states to influence the UN Security Council’s results may differ between policy areas. For its Council period 2017–18, Sweden decided to promote the integration of women, peace and security (WPS) in the mainstream of UNSC’s processes and decisions, in order to contribute to making WPS a “core council activity”. Although WPS is a policy area of ​​growing importance to a number of elected states, there is limited knowledge about the role of the E10 in driving progress in the Council.

To address gaps in our understanding of E10’s roles, strategies and effects, this report makes two contributions: First, we provide insights into the preparations for and situation of the UNSC for elected members. We begin by discussing the assessments and decisions that are part of the design of the chosen state’s goals and strategy, and then outline four clusters of conditions that a chosen state must tactically maneuver during its term of office. Second, we structure and deepen our knowledge of the potential effects a state may seek to achieve in order to better understand and study such efforts. We then go into more depth on one of the effects that Sweden tried to achieve: that is, the improved integration of the WPS language in the UN Security Council resolutions, in particular peace operations and political mandates, to positively affect women’s and girls’ lives. in conflict and post-conflict areas. Here we outline a method for assessing the progress in the integration of implementable language. To meet this goal, the report is based on a focused analysis of Sweden’s experiences and data on language development in the UN Security Council resolutions during the period 2016–19. It is important that this report does not constitute an authorized or official account of Sweden’s term of office, and is not intended to be a comprehensive assessment of all of Sweden’s work during its two years in the UN Security Council. Rather, the interviews, written material, and data collected have been used to explore and expand our understanding of elected members and internal UNSC dynamics, and to contribute to a growing research agenda on the role of states in WPS progress and setbacks.

The report is the first publication in a collaboration between the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Uppsala University, and the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) on the role of elected members in the Security Council and is a product of projects funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Folke Bernadotte Academy and the Shattering Glass project funded by The Swedish Research Council (ID: 2020-05104_3)