Moment of decision nears for UN Security Council expansion

UNITED NATIONS – Ambassadors from Brazil, Japan, Germany and India, aspirants for permanent UN Security Council seats, said on Saturday they had exhausted discussions in New York and it was time for their foreign ministers to make decisions on rival proposals for expanding the 15-member body.

In an uphill struggle to achieve 128 votes in the UN General Assembly, ministers of the four candidates met Jean Ping, the assembly president, to devise a schedule for a possible poll to enlarge the council. Without substantial support from the 53-member African Union, the four aspirants, known as the G-4 or Group of Four, will not achieve the necessary votes.Foreign ministers from the four and the African Union meet in London on Monday on their rival proposals.”We have exhausted our discussion.It is now up to African ministers to take a decision,” Japan’s UN ambassador, Kenzo Oshima, told reporters.All four ambassadors expressed optimism a deal could be brokered but Brazil was more realistic about getting support from all 53 African Union nations, which are divided among themselves on compromise proposals.”If we have the feeling that we will get 35-plus African votes, we want a vote in July.But this is a G-4 decision on when we want to vote,” Brazil’s deputy UN ambassador, Henrique Valle, told reporters.In addition to the G-4 foreign ministers, Africa is sending ministers from Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Ghana, Libya and others.Ping told reporters there were opportunities for a vote until Aug.5, after which the General Assembly would take a break and return on Aug.22 when members want to concentrate on other reform proposals ahead of a UN world summit in September.Germany, Japan, Brazil and India have called on the General Assembly to enlarge the Security Council to 25 from 15.This plan has six new permanent seats, including two for Africa, but new members would not have veto power.The African Union’s draft resolution asks for the council to be enlarged to 26 seats, one more nonpermanent seat than the G-4 proposal.It also advocates six new permanent seats but with veto privileges.The Security Council now has 15 members, 10 rotating for two-year terms, and five permanent members with veto power – the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France.The five have no veto power in the General Assembly but can exercise it in the final step when national legislatures have to approve a UN Charter change.- Nampa-ReutersWithout substantial support from the 53-member African Union, the four aspirants, known as the G-4 or Group of Four, will not achieve the necessary votes.Foreign ministers from the four and the African Union meet in London on Monday on their rival proposals.”We have exhausted our discussion.It is now up to African ministers to take a decision,” Japan’s UN ambassador, Kenzo Oshima, told reporters.All four ambassadors expressed optimism a deal could be brokered but Brazil was more realistic about getting support from all 53 African Union nations, which are divided among themselves on compromise proposals.”If we have the feeling that we will get 35-plus African votes, we want a vote in July.But this is a G-4 decision on when we want to vote,” Brazil’s deputy UN ambassador, Henrique Valle, told reporters.In addition to the G-4 foreign ministers, Africa is sending ministers from Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Ghana, Libya and others.Ping told reporters there were opportunities for a vote until Aug.5, after which the General Assembly would take a break and return on Aug.22 when members want to concentrate on other reform proposals ahead of a UN world summit in September.Germany, Japan, Brazil and India have called on the General Assembly to enlarge the Security Council to 25 from 15.This plan has six new permanent seats, including two for Africa, but new members would not have veto power.The African Union’s draft resolution asks for the council to be enlarged to 26 seats, one more nonpermanent seat than the G-4 proposal.It also advocates six new permanent seats but with veto privileges.The Security Council now has 15 members, 10 rotating for two-year terms, and five permanent members with veto power – the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France.The five have no veto power in the General Assembly but can exercise it in the final step when national legislatures have to approve a UN Charter change.- Nampa-Reuters