Introducing the UNSCRA dataset: authoring Security Council draft resolutions, 1990–2023

Abstract

While United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions are widely studied, there is only limited information about their authors. Previous studies have argued that the states that draft resolutions exert sizeable influence over their content, but the lack of comprehensive data has hindered any systematic investigations into their agency, role and motivation when authoring resolutions. This article introduces the United Nations Security Council Resolution Authors (UNSCRA) dataset, which collects information on sponsors (1990–2023) and lead negotiators (2008–2023) for 2,179 drafts tabled at the United Nations Security Council, and illustrates its value through descriptive analysis. UNSCRA provides unique insights on drafts (e.g. agenda items and votes) and author profiles (e.g. numbers and regional distribution). The data coded on a draft-specific level open new avenues for research on states’ influence and interests at the UNSC.