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UN seat: G4 awaits AU nod for jt plan
G4 is banking on a positive outcome of the AU summit in Ethiopia that will decide on endorsing a G4-AU deal.
The G4 grouping comprising India, Japan, Brazil and Germany is banking on a positive outcome of the African Union (AU) summit in Ethiopia on Thursday that will decide on endorsing a G4-AU deal for expanding the UN Security Council.
The 53-nation AU, in an emergency summit in Addis Ababa, will debate an agreement reached on July 25 in London between foreign ministers of G4 countries and AU on presenting to the UN a common plan to expand the Security Council from 15 to 26 seats.
"India and other G4 countries are banking on the AU summit to endorse the deal so that AU can vote en bloc on the common proposal," said a diplomatic source here.
There have been reports of divisions within the ranks of AU on the deal with G4. "There is a possibility that some African nations may go their own way," said the source.
The G4-AU deal has brightened prospects of the common resolution getting the 128 votes required to pass muster in the 191-member UN General Assembly.
If the AU summit endorses the deal, G4 and AU will press for this common plan to be put to vote soon in the General Assembly.
"This will give us the requisite numbers to forge ahead in our common pursuit of UN reforms and a seat at the high table," the source said.
External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh invoked India's traditional close and friendly ties with Africa to help persuade African countries to agree to a common plan for expanding the powerful Security Council.
G4 and AU have struck a deal on the veto issue and the number of non-permanent Security Council members - the twin issues that earlier divided them.
AU, which was earlier insisting on permanent seats with immediate veto power, agreed not to press the issue of the veto at this time.
On the issue of additional non-permanent seats, the two sides agreed the Security Council should be expanded to 26 members with the 26th seat circulating among developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America and Caribbean states.
