Civilizational Texturing and UN Reform: A View from New York
09.13.2025
By Valikhan Tuleshov
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations—an institution born out of the ruins of World War II as a guarantor of peace and justice. Yet in the eight decades since its founding, the world has changed so dramatically that the old architecture of global governance no longer reflects present realities.
The opening session of the UN General Assembly therefore has every reason to devote close attention to this challenge.
Today, the world has entered a new era, which U.S. President Donald Trump—through his internal and external initiatives (MAGA)—anticipated, becoming a central figure in the restructuring of the world order. We describe this new stage as the era of civilizational texturing.
At its core, civilizational texturing reflects the reality that the global system can no longer be organized solely around individual states or traditional blocs. Instead, civilizational and regional communities—representing billions of people and possessing real capacity to shape the global agenda—are emerging as decisive actors in international relations.
This is not just a phrase, but a new logic of world politics. Humanity today cannot be represented exclusively by states. Civilizational and regional communities now play a defining role in shaping economies, cultures, and responsibilities across entire continents, while influencing decisions at the highest level.
Kazakhstan is one example of a country that has embodied this vision since its independence. Its domestic and foreign policy has consistently emphasized civilizational balance and dialogue. For us, civilizational texturing is the key to restoring global stability.
By this we mean the inclusion of diverse cultural and civilizational entities in the global decision-making system, creating a multi-layered fabric of governance. The drivers of this process are clear: the limits of Western dominance, the rise of the Global South, regional integration (AU, ASEAN, OTS, CELAC), and the growing role of civilizational identity in politics. Civilizational texturing is not a substitute for states but a complementary superstructure that strengthens legitimacy and sustainability in global governance.
The issue is urgent. The UN Security Council still reflects the balance of 1945. Africa and Latin America lack permanent representation, Asia is underrepresented, and Central Eurasia is absent entirely. Yet these regions are critical to today’s global dynamics. The African Union, the Organization of Turkic States, CELAC, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have already proven themselves as effective actors. Their inclusion in the Security Council would make its decisions more representative and legitimate—reflecting the voices of humanity, not just a narrow circle of powers.
Concrete precedents already exist. The AU has carried out major peacekeeping operations in Somalia and Darfur. ECOWAS intervened effectively in The Gambia in 2017. The OTS has served as a platform for stabilization in the South Caucasus. Officially integrating such organizations into the Security Council would enhance decision-making by grounding it in regional legitimacy, while also reducing duplication and conflicts of authority between the UN and regional bodies.
Institutionally, this reform requires amendments to the UN Charter (Articles 108–109), needing two-thirds of General Assembly votes and ratification by all five permanent members (P5). Such a process can only move forward gradually and through compromise. Possible models include:
LR (Longer Rotation): Long-term rotations of non-permanent members from civilizational blocs.
RPM (Regional Permanent Members): Permanent seats for organizations (AU, OTS, etc.) with limited or no veto rights.
Hybrid model: A mix of LR and RPM—gradual expansion of the Council alongside formal recognition of civilizational blocs.
Political realities shape this debate. The G4 (India, Japan, Germany, Brazil) push for national permanent seats, while the Uniting for Consensus group (Italy, Pakistan, Mexico, others) opposes this expansion. The civilizational approach offers a compromise: instead of privileging individual states, it prioritizes fair representation of civilizations and regions.
Kazakhstan, as part of the Turkic median civilization connecting East and West, North and South, is especially suited to advocate for this “middle option.” Its mission is to act as a bridge between centers of power and to promote a balanced world order.
Our proposed roadmap includes:
Launching an initiative in the UN General Assembly to create a working group on civilizational representation.
Building a coalition with AU, CELAC, OIC, and ASEAN to develop a common platform.
Opening negotiations with the P5 on conditional veto arrangements for new members.
Advancing the hybrid model (LR + RPM) as the most realistic reform option.
Positioning Kazakhstan as the voice of the “middle civilization,” bridging global divides.
The reform of the Security Council along civilizational lines will enhance legitimacy, improve effectiveness, and reduce conflict among power centers. While the UN remains unique, its survival depends on its ability to reflect today’s multi-civilizational reality.
President Trump’s initiative, combined with Kazakhstan’s support, opens the path toward a renewed system of global governance—one that is more representative, balanced, and sustainable. By recognizing civilizational texturing, the international community can move toward a fairer and more peaceful world order for the 21st century.
