Brazil strives so that forums for multilateral consensus-building, especially those of the United Nations, become more representative of the new reality of the 21st century. The efficacy and legitimacy of decisions and policies adopted in these bodies will be greater, the more the UN express the interests of its member countries. The country’s claim, particularly regarding a comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council, refers to this inclusive project, which has motivated Brazilian foreign policy for decades. Since the 90s, the “securitization” of United Nations issues has become an important trend. This trend, mostly promoted by the permanent members of the Security Council, consists in bringing before the referred Council issues which actually should be dealt with in other UN bodies or in its specialized agencies. “Securitization” needs to be considered with caution. In specialized agencies – such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPQW) and the Convention for the Prohibition of Biological Weapons (CPBW) – the submission of a case to the Security Council should be limited to extreme situations. Regarding the UN Security Council, significant advances, reflecting a trend toward the strengthening of multilateralism, have not been observed, unlike what has been evidenced in other areas, such as the economic and financial dimensions. To assure the Council’s legitimacy and representativeness in issues related to international peace and security, its reform is urgent. The increasing force of multilateralism is also the result of the higher prominence of issues which require negotiated solutions among countries and also impact the security of nations, such as climate change, sustainable development and social inclusion. The notion that security and development are integrated has its roots in the ideals of the United Nations Charter. Brazil has actively participated in diplomatic efforts to find peaceful solutions to conflicts and to decrease tensions in the American continent and elsewhere. The most evident expression of Brazil’s growing importance in peace and security initiatives has is its role in peacekeeping operations. Such operations are the main tools available for the international community to deal with threat of conflict and to prevent post-conflict countries from returning to armed violence. Together with UN agencies, funds and programs, peacekeeping missions are an important expression of the Organization, since they represent the main legal and legitimate form of military action of the international community to guarantee collective security. DEFENSE WHITE PAPER 35 CHAPTER 2 — THE 21st CENTURY STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT International System