India, Brazil, Germany and Japan have called for faster reform of the UN Security Council, arguing that its current structure no longer reflects global realities…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Foreign Ministers of the G4 countries, India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, have called for an early reform of the United Nations Security Council, saying its current structure is unable to effectively address the challenges of maintaining international peace and security.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, German Federal Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu met in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
In a joint ministerial statement, the four countries said the increasingly challenging geopolitical environment had made Security Council reform “more necessary than ever before”.
“The G4 Ministers noted that the UNSC is currently unable to effectively discharge its core responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. The representativeness, legitimacy, credibility and efficacy of the UNSC are in question,” the statement said.
The G4 said the Council’s shortcomings were linked to its “anachronistic eight-decades-old architecture”, which they argued did not reflect contemporary geopolitical realities and was limiting its ability to respond to present and future challenges.
The four countries called for reform to be implemented at the earliest, saying the Security Council should be “fit-for-purpose” and reflect current global realities.
They said expansion of the Council in both permanent and non permanent categories should be central to the reform process. They also called for greater representation of under represented and unrepresented regions and groups, including Africa, the Asia Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.
The G4 further highlighted the importance of greater participation by countries that make significant contributions to maintaining international peace and security and advancing the wider objectives of the United Nations.
The ministers welcomed the presentation of the African Group’s reform model during the Intergovernmental Negotiations in the 80th session of the UN General Assembly and reiterated their support for enhanced African representation, including in the permanent category.
The G4 expressed concern over what they described as limited progress in the Intergovernmental Negotiations process, which they said had been under way for 18 years without producing concrete outcomes on substantive Security Council reform.
They also raised reservations about a “bridging proposal” presented before the start of text based negotiations, saying it did not reflect the views of a clear majority of UN member states supporting expansion in both categories.
The ministers said consensus was not the benchmark for decision making on Security Council reform under the UN Charter and the mandate governing the negotiations.
They said they would work with other reform oriented groups to identify areas of convergence and develop a consolidated model reflecting the views of the majority of member states. Starting text based negotiations, they added, would be a high priority.
Jaishankar said the G4 remained committed to advancing a more representative and effective multilateral system.
“Joined my G4 counterparts from Brazil, Germany and Japan in New York #UNGA81. Discussed the imperative of reformed multilateralism and a more representative, responsive and effective UN Security Council that reflects today’s global realities. Will continue to work together to advance this shared objective,” the External Affairs Minister said in a post on X.
Wadephul also called for the Council to reflect changes in the international system and greater representation for Africa.
“Since the founding of the UN the world has changed profoundly – this needs to be reflected in its highest decision making body. Together with India, Brazil, Japan we strive for a more inclusive UN Security Council. Also, voices from Africa need to be represented more appropriately,” he said in a post on X.
The G4 ministers agreed to continue coordination during the 81st session of the General Assembly and tasked officials from their respective countries with following up on the discussions. They also agreed to review progress at the next Director General level meeting in New Delhi.
Jaishankar separately met Wadephul on the sidelines of the General Assembly, with the two discussing ongoing conflicts and multilateral cooperation.
“Sat down with Johann Wadephul of Germany on the sidelines of #UNGA81. We exchanged assessments on the ongoing Ukraine and Gulf crises. As G4 partners, our cooperation at the UN and other multilateral fora remains robust,” Jaishankar said.
The G4 has maintained a long standing position in favour of expanding both permanent and non permanent membership of the Security Council. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has also identified Security Council reform and text based negotiations as priorities in its engagement with reform oriented groupings.
The ministers said they would continue working with other countries and groups to advance the reform process and seek a more representative, legitimate and effective Security Council.
