UN sets into motion debate on expansion of Security Council

UNITED NATIONS – The UN General Assembly opened a divisive debate on Monday on a controversial draft resolution by Brazil, Germany, India and Japan to expand the powerful Security Council, an initiative bitterly opposed by some of their regional rivals.

Brazil’s UN envoy Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg introduced the draft from the so-called G4, which calls for enlarging the Council from the current 15 members to 25 by creating six new permanent seats without veto power and four non-permanent seats. The G4 countries are pressing for an early vote on the draft, which is co-sponsored by 23 countries including France, possibly as early as late this week.Sardenberg said the security structure established in 1945 when the UN was created was “now glaringly outdated.””The Security Council needs to undergo a thorough reform which includes an expansion of the category of permanent members in order to bring it in line with the contemporary world,” he told the assembly.He said that a more balanced membership of the council was needed to reflect “new realities” and to be responsive to the views and needs of all member states, in particular developing countries.The draft does not spell out which countries would secure the new Council seats but diplomats said the six new permanent seats would go to the G4 and two African countries yet to be selected.At present, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States are the only permanent and veto-wielding members of the powerful UN body, which also has 10 rotating non-permanent members without veto power.The proposed expansion of the Security Council is part of a broader plan to overhaul the United Nations, which is spearheaded by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and which which world leaders will discuss at a summit in September ahead of the annual general assembly.Japan’s UN envoy Kenzo Oshima for his part urged Security Council expansion “both in its permanent and non-permanent categories, adding new members from developing and developed countries.”Acknowledging the pivotal role of the African group in the outcome of the assembly vote on the G4 draft, Oshima said: “Japan welcomes Africa’s resolve to pursue the enlargement of the Security Council …as declared in the recent AU (African Union) summit in Syrte.”At their summit in Syrte, Libya, African Union leaders decided to press for their own plan for a 26-member Security Council, with six new permanent seats with veto power, including two for Africa, and five non-permanent seats, including two for Africa.UN observers said the African proposal was unrealistic as several countries among the so-called Big Five in the Security Council are adamantly opposed to sharing their veto power.Speaking on behalf of the African group at the UN, Mauritius’ ambassador Jagdish Koonjul the Africans would submit their own draft shortly and said an AU ministerial delegation “will be imminently holding consultations with the relevant stakeholders and other regions of the UN membership.”But Oshima pointed out that the G4 draft was “the only viable proposal capable of garnering the support of the required two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly – 128 votes out of 191 – to change the make-up of the council.But there was virulent opposition to the G4 blueprint from Pakistan’s UN ambassador Munir Akram.”We will not choose to anoint six states with special privileges and stamp ourselves as second class members in this Organisation,” he said, calling the plan “unequal” as it would give permanent membership to 11 states,”consigning 180 others to compete for 14 seats.””It will enlarge the ‘club of the privileged’ who will have a vested interest in addressing most issues in the Security Council, further draining the oxygen out of the General Assembly, and enhancing the domination of the Security Council,” he added.The assembly debate was set to resume yesterday afternoon with an address by the United States, which has voiced skepticism about the G4 plan, fearing that enlarging the council beyond 20 members would hurt the body’s effectiveness.Washington favours adding only two new permanent seats with no veto power, including one for Japan.- Nampa-AFPThe G4 countries are pressing for an early vote on the draft, which is co-sponsored by 23 countries including France, possibly as early as late this week.Sardenberg said the security structure established in 1945 when the UN was created was “now glaringly outdated.””The Security Council needs to undergo a thorough reform which includes an expansion of the category of permanent members in order to bring it in line with the contemporary world,” he told the assembly.He said that a more balanced membership of the council was needed to reflect “new realities” and to be responsive to the views and needs of all member states, in particular developing countries.The draft does not spell out which countries would secure the new Council seats but diplomats said the six new permanent seats would go to the G4 and two African countries yet to be selected.At present, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States are the only permanent and veto-wielding members of the powerful UN body, which also has 10 rotating non-permanent members without veto power.The proposed expansion of the Security Council is part of a broader plan to overhaul the United Nations, which is spearheaded by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and which which world leaders will discuss at a summit in September ahead of the annual general assembly.Japan’s UN envoy Kenzo Oshima for his part urged Security Council expansion “both in its permanent and non-permanent categories, adding new members from developing and developed countries.”Acknowledging the pivotal role of the African group in the outcome of the assembly vote on the G4 draft, Oshima said: “Japan welcomes Africa’s resolve to pursue the enlargement of the Security Council …as declared in the recent AU (African Union) summit in Syrte.”At their summit in Syrte, Libya, African Union leaders decided to press for their own plan for a 26-member Security Council, with six new permanent seats with veto power, including two for Africa, and five non-permanent seats, including two for Africa.UN observers said the African proposal was unrealistic as several countries among the so-called Big Five in the Security Council are adamantly opposed to sharing their veto power.Speaking on behalf of the African group at the UN, Mauritius’ ambassador Jagdish Koonjul the Africans would submit their own draft shortly and said an AU ministerial delegation “will be imminently holding consultations with the relevant stakeholders and other regions of the UN membership.”But Oshima pointed out that the G4 draft was “the only viable proposal capable of garnering the support of the required two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly – 128 votes out of 191 – to change the make-up of the council.But there was virulent opposition to the G4 blueprint from Pakistan’s UN ambassador Munir Akram.”We will not choose to anoint six states with special privileges and stamp ourselves as second class members in this Organisation,” he said, calling the plan “unequal” as it would give permanent membership to 11 states,”consigning 180 others to compete for 14 seats.””It will enlarge the ‘club of the privileged’ who will have a vested interest in addressing most issues in the Security Council, further draining the oxygen out of the General Assembly, and enhancing the domination of the Security Council,” he added.The assembly debate was set to resume yesterday afternoon with an address by the United States, which has voiced skepticism about the G4 plan, fearing that enlarging the council beyond 20 members would hurt the body’s effectiveness.Washington favours adding only two new permanent seats with no veto power, including one for Japan.- Nampa-AFP