India slams 'small group' of nations derailing UNSC expansion

Dharam Shourie

United Nations, May 28 (PTI) Demanding intensification
of efforts by the United Nations General Assembly to expand
the Security Council to reflect current realities of the
world, India has slammed a "small group of countries" for
trying to scuttle the process.

In his hard hitting maiden address to an informal
session of the 192-member Assembly on reform of the 15-member
Council, Indian ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri lambasted a
"small group" of countries for trying to derail the process by
insisting that expansion be limited to non-permanent category.

Though Puri did not name the small group of countries,
he was apparently referring to "Uniting for Consensus" (UFC),
a group of "like-minded" countries including Pakistan, South
Korea and Spain among others.

India, Japan, Germany and Brazil, known as group of
four, are strong contenders for permanent Council seats in the
event of an expansion.

Making a strong case for moving towards reform, Puri
said: "If the status quo were representative, effective,
responsive or fair, we could have lived with it.

"But as is clear to all, this is not the case, and the
Council is in urgent need for reform to gain credibility and
reflect the modern day realities," Puri said.

"This is crucial also to ensuring its legitimacy,
credibility and effectiveness," he said.

Pakistan opposes India and tries to block the expansion
in the Council's permanent category which now has five members
who were victors of the Second World War.

After more than a decade of discussions, the Open Ended
Working Group (OEWG) of the Assembly has failed to throw up
any solution, with member States repeating their respective
positions in each session.

The Assembly then decided to go for inter-governmental
negotiation on specific proposals so as to achieve progress on
expansion which is gaining strong support by the day.

Puri questioned the purpose of small group countries for
repeatedly using the term "flexibility".

"In reality, the flexibility they espouse is anchored on
one real position that is there should be no new permanent
members... It is crucial that we institute a robust process of
review of the Council as part of reforms that we undertake.
Moreover, such a review must be mandatory," he said.

"In this context, we would also look favourably at the
concept of periodic reviews, say every 15 years. This would
ensure that UNSC continues to reflect realities as prevalent,"
he added.

But he rejected the intermediate approach as articulated
by a "small group of countries" which advocates that the
Council be expanded in the non-permanent category initially
and issue of expansion in the permanent category is held over
until first review which could take place 15 years or so.

However, Puri pointed out that such a proposal does not
enjoy the support of 53-member African group and the proposal
which has such overwhelming support cannot be "placed at the
same level as that supported by one country".

In this context, Puri offered to "engage in discussions
on the concept of challenge to permanent members provided the
bar for such a challenge is commensurate with and not less
than the bar for permanent membership of the Council".

Any real change, Puri said, must involve greater
representation for Africa, including in the permanent
membership.

During the first round, the African Group, like most
other delegations, had highlighted their preference for an
expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories.

They had also reiterated other demands of the Ezulwini
consensus, including the right of veto for new permanent
members, Puri said. PTI DS
RKM
NNNN