Re: US continues to dodge India’s UNSC demands
After 10 years of fruitless efforts, India is so desperate to get onto the UNSC that it has now dropped it’s request for veto power. But first the US refuses to support any permannent Indian membership (but it will support Japan), and now China and Russia are opposing Indian ambitions as well.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050610a1.htm
‘Group of Four’ drop UNSC veto demand
Japan, Brazil, Germany and India have proposed a 15-year freeze on veto powers for new permanent members of the U.N. Security Council as part of a revised version of its draft resolution to expand the council, diplomats and governments said Wednesday. The so-called Group of Four has been campaigning vigorously to become permanent members of the U.N.'s most powerful body, but were forced to back down in the face of opposition from a number of countries, including some of the current permanent members with veto power. But China, one of the five permanent members, expressed strong opposition to the revised proposal Thursday, saying the latest changes do not make the plan acceptable for Beijing. The four nations circulated a resolution that would increase the Security Council from 15 to 25 members, including six new permanent seats – with four going to them and the other two to African nations. In a letter to the 191 U.N. member states, ambassadors from the Group of Four said that, during extensive consultations after their initial draft was circulated May 16, it became clear that giving new permanent members the same veto power as the five existing permanent members was a major issue. Their revised draft would delay consideration of veto power for new permanent members until a review of the expanded council takes place 15 years after the resolution comes into force.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Thursday in Tokyo he hopes the latest version of a draft resolution on U.N. reform by Japan and the three other countries will draw support from as many nations as possible. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told reporters the four countries revised the draft while taking into account the different views of other countries. But whether that happens remains one of the most hotly debated questions in U.N. corridors. “We believe that member states should continue democratic consultations to find a solution that accommodates the interests of all parties . . . rather than having revisions or modifications on a highly divisive proposal,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a regular press briefing in Beijing. “The action by a few countries to force through an immature proposal has derailed U.N. Security Council reforms and gravely undermined any potential progress of U.N. reform. China expresses worries about this and firmly opposes the practice by those countries.”
After 10 years of seemingly endless debate, Secretary General Kofi Annan told U.N. member states in March that he wants a decision on council expansion before September, when he has invited world leaders to a summit to consider a major reform of the U.N. so it can deal with the challenges of the 21st century. Annan suggested that if consensus wasn’t possible, the General Assembly president should consider calling a vote, which would have to take place this summer. With that timetable in mind, the rhetoric and lobbying in capitals around the world has escalated. In their letter, Brazil, Germany, India and Japan appealed for “active support and cooperation” for their revised draft resolution. “Time is now ripe to take a decision on this long pending issue, thus paving the way for a successful outcome of the Millennium Review Summit in September 2005,” they said. Opponents of the Group of Four also favor expanding the council from 15 to 25 members, but oppose creating any new permanent members. They want 20 nonpermanent members to face periodic election by the General Assembly, which they argue is more transparent and democratic. Supporters of this approach include Algeria, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Qatar, South Korea, Spain and Turkey.
Chinese Ambassador to the U.N. Wang Guangya, who is sympathetic to this approach, warned last week that it would be “very dangerous” for the Group of Four to call for a vote on their resolution because the move could “split the house” and derail the larger U.N. reform proposal. Foreign ministers and ambassadors from the five veto-wielding permanent nations currently on the council have meanwhile been exchanging views on council reform. Wang said Tuesday the five permanent members feel they are being rushed and need more time to address the divisive issue. Council diplomats said China has urged the other four members not to cosponsor the Group of Four resolution – but immediately after the revised draft was circulated Wednesday, French Ambassador to the U.N. Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said his country would be a cosponsor. Britain is also expected to cosponsor. The U.S. has supported a permanent seat for Japan, but not for Germany, and appears wary of an unwieldy 25-member council. Diplomats said Russia is more likely to go along with the U.S. and China. The Group of Four’s resolution and any subsequent election of new members would need the approval of two-thirds of the 191 member states. Some supporters of the Group of Four say they have more than the 128 votes needed for approval. But backers of Uniting for Consensus say about 80 countries support their position. That adds up to more than the U.N. membership. Even if the initial resolution is approved, the most difficult step is a final resolution to change the U.N. Charter, which not only requires a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly but also the approval of the five permanent Security Council members. China’s Wang said last week that the country’s legislature would likely have difficulty approving the Charter change.