Unleashing the elected members: why states do (not) draft resolutions at the United Nations Security Council

Why do some elected members (E10) of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) refrain from authoring resolutions, leaving these drafting responsibilities to the P3 (France, the United Kingdom, and the United States)? Complementing explanations only based on diplomatic capacity or institutional knowledge, I argue that the authorship selection depends on two factors: the P3’s interest in agenda items and the Council climate shaped by the E10. Their interactions into three outcomes – P3-led, E10-led, or P3-E10 collaborations – are examined with 74 interviews and authorship data since 2008. It demonstrates the E10’s growing agency but enduring structural limits shaping Council diplomacy.