Washington's Voz - Third draft on UN Security Council expansion introduced

Browse
our Frontpage

Third draft on UN Security
Council expansion introduced

United Nations / AFP
07/22/2005

Countries opposing a bid by Brazil, Germany, India and Japan to gain permanent membership of the 15-member UN Security Council on Thursday submitted a competing draft of their own pushing for an increase to 25 members, with 10 new non-permanent members.

Under the proposal, submitted to the UN Secretariat and a copy of which was obtained by AFP, the 10 new non-permanent members would be elected for two years as is the case at present, but with the possibility of immediate re-election.

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 draft co-sponsored by the so-called "United for Consensus" group -- Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Malta, Mexico , Pakistan, South Korea, San Marino, Spain and Turkey -- is to be formally submitted to the General Assembly Friday.

It appears to be an attempt to drain support away from a rival draft by the so-called G4, which is facing strong opposition led by the United States.
Pakistan is adamantly opposed to India securing permanent membership of the council, Brazil's bid is opposed by Argentina and several Latin American countries, Japan's by China and South Korea while Italy leads opposition to Germany's bid, diplomats said.

The United for Consensus draft, calling the present composition of the council "inequitable and unbalanced", proposed that the powerful body should comprise, in addition to the five veto-wielding permanent members, 20 non-permanent members with no veto right.

The 20 non-permanent members would comprise "six from African states, five from Asian states, four from Latin American and Caribbean states, three from western Europe and other states, two from eastern European states," the draft said.

"Each of the five existing geographical groups ... shall decide on arrangements among its members for re-election or rotation of its members on the seats allotted to the group," it added.

The G4 blueprint, which is backed by more than 30 countries, including France and Britain, calls for boosting Council membership from 15 members to 25, with six new permanent seats without veto power --- one each for Brazil, Germany, India and Japan and two for the African region, and four non-permanent seats.

The African Union has meanwhile submitted its own text demanding veto power for two permanent Security Council seats that would be allocated to Africa as well as five non-permanent council seats, including two for Africa.

The G4 and the African Union (AU) are conducting intensive negotiations to reconcile their rival draft resolutions and are to submit their recommendations which are to be reviewed by their foreign ministers at a meeting scheduled for Monday in London.

US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns on Wednesday reaffirmed Washington's firm opposition to any vote on UN Security Council expansion at this time, saying it would be premature and divisive.