Resolution sponsorship by non-permanent members in the United Nations Security Council 1999–2024

Despite structural dominance by the five permanent members (P5), non-permanent members (E10) of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) employ strategic tools to shape multilateral outcomes. Analyzing E10 resolution sponsorship from 1999 to 2024, extending an earlier dataset and presenting six comparative case studies, we find that E10 co-sponsorship has declined relative to the P5 since 2016. Yet E10 members retain meaningful influence, particularly in thematic resolutions, employing mechanisms such as “passing the baton”, “low-hanging fruit” initiatives, and cross-regional coalition-building. Rather than bypassing formal structures, E10 members practice “soft balancing”, as norm carriers and institutional innovators in a veto-constrained environment.