UNSC bid: India cautious but hopeful
"It would be a great tragedy if the reforms do not take place in UN's 60th year," Natwar said, writes Vijay Dutt.
As the draft resolution of G4 countries on UN reform is formally introduced on Monday, India expressed guarded optimism that the declaration proposing increase of permanent membership of the Security Council would get the required two-third majority in the 191-member General Assembly.
External affairs minister Natwar Singh hoped that over the next 10 days or so, the decision on the framework resolution tabled on July 11 by G-4 countries —India, Brazil, Japan and Germany — on the reforms and expansion of the UN Security Council would be ratified.
But Singh was cautious. “Amending the UN charter regarding the Security Council is a complicated undertaking. We have to be realistic. We are not pitching our expectations too high. We are approaching it in a judicious, cautious manner. Yet, you cannot rule out that the status quo will continue."
But then he warned, "It would be a great tragedy if the reforms and expansion do not take place during the 60th year of the UN. It may not then come about, may be until another 15 years."
Singh did not give any numbers — of how many are supporting the G4 resolution, which seeks the expansion of the Security Council from 15 to 25 and an increase of permanent members from 5 to 11. But if the African Union with 53 votes and the G4 combine pitch in favour, chances are little that the so-called Coffee Club, of which Mexico, Pakistan and Italy are members, would be unable to stop the expansion.
The probability of AU and G4 agreeing on joint efforts are high because the difference in the draft resolution of Africans with that of G4 is just that the former wants the Security Council to be enlarged to 26, as against G4's demand of 25.
The fact that the Ghana foreign minister flew to London to attend the meeting of G4 ministers in London on July 8 indicated that African countries wanted an understanding with G4. On being asked whether P5 would ratify, Singh said he was hopeful that there would be no veto.