The United Kingdom has restated its support for India, Germany, Japan, and Brazil gaining additional permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). It has also urged for the council to be expanded to include both permanent and non-permanent members.
On Thursday, during the UN Security Council’s annual discussion on Security Council reform, UK Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward stated, “Our view is well known.” The United Kingdom has long advocated for the permanent and non-permanent membership of the Security Council.”
“We support the establishment of new permanent seats for India, Germany, Japan, and Brazil, as well as permanent African representation on the Council,” she said, adding that the UK also supports expanding the Security Council’s non-permanent category of membership, bringing the total membership to somewhere in the mid-20s.
The General Assembly began its annual discussion with speakers reaffirming their calls for expanding the 15-member organ and modernising its working processes in order to make it more transparent, inclusive, representative, responsible, and effective in a world plagued by a series of interconnected crises.
Furthermore, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, addressed on behalf of the G4 countries (Brazil, Germany, and Japan). She expressed her disappointment at the absence of real progress following four decades of equal representation. She further emphasised that it is past time for the Security Council to live up to its Charter obligation to act on behalf of the whole Membership.
” The longer the Security Council reform is delayed, the wider the representation gap becomes “Furthermore, representation is a necessary condition for legitimacy and efficacy. This will not be possible until both groups’ memberships are increased. Only in this manner will the Council be able to deal with today’s global conflicts as well as more complex and interconnected global concerns.”
“A single consolidated text, preferably with attribution,” Ambassador Kamboj continued, “is the only way to break the cycle of repetition of well-known positions that has been the trademark of the IGN (Intergovernmental Negotiations) in recent years.”
According to India’s senior diplomat, the four nations agree on the importance of comprehensive Security Council reform, including the expansion of seats in both categories of membership, equitable regional representation, more transparent and inclusive working methods, and an improved relationship with other UN bodies, including the General Assembly.
“We support the establishment of new permanent seats for India, Germany, Japan, and Brazil, as well as permanent African representation on the Council,” she said, adding that the UK also supports expanding the Security Council’s non-permanent category of membership, bringing the total membership to somewhere in the mid-20s.