UNITED NATIONS, June 2: China’s Ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday expressed support for the expansion formula submitted by the “Uniting for Consensus” group (UFC) for the proposed expansion of the UN Security Council saying ‘it has many good points’.
Talking to reporters following a meeting of UFC at the Italian mission to the UN, China’s Ambassador Wang Guangya said clearly that China would ‘veto’ the G-4 proposal to expand the Security Council giving them permanent seats, when it comes up for approval by the five permanent members.
China, along with United States, Britain, France and Russia, has veto powers, in the 15 member UN Security Council, and any resolution which calls for amendment to the UN Charter would have to be approved by two-thirds majority on member states and approval by five permanent members of the Council.
Besides, the charter also stipulates that the amendment be ratified by the “respective constitutional process by two-thirds members.” Mr Wang said that the draft resolution proposed by the G-4 — Japan, Germany, India and Brazil — was dangerous and divisive for the UN reforms process as “it puts the whole membership into two groups.”
He expressed the hope that “there is still time” to consult and “find a good formula that could help Security Council expansion” and have broad support of all the members.
The “Uniting for Consensus” group led by Pakistan and Italy has consistently opposed more permanent seats in the expanded Security Council, instead they have proposed expanding the non-permanent slot of the Council by 10 seats. As a compromise they have suggested that 12 of the 20 non-permanent seats could be made semi-permanent seats with regional groups selecting their candidates for a period of three years instead of two.
