UNITED NATIONS, June 9: The surprise move by the G-4 nations - Japan, Germany, India and Brazil — to forgo veto rights in seeking permanent seats to the prestigious UN Security Council shocked diplomats and delegates, who said the move could backfire.
Diplomats, who attended the group’s meeting on Wednesday evening where they unveiled the revised proposal, said there was a hushed silence in the hall and no one ventured to ask any questions.
Some diplomats speculated that the sudden move was inspired by Germany and India, with Japan wanting more time to put the resolution forward in response to an appeal by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The Indian ambassador was asked as to how his country, which had declared clearly that it would not accept a permanent seat without veto, could accept such a compromise.
Niprum Sen said ‘the amended draft has not been diluted so far as veto is concerned as it keeps the principle intact’.
The G-4 draft stipulates putting on ice the issue of veto power for 15 years.
But German Ambassador Gunter Pleuger conceded that veto powers were counter-productive to the UN reform process. “Personally I don’t like veto powers and when I was on the Security Council, we learnt how to work around It.”
Other diplomats said it might also have the effect of current permanent members being more careful in the use of veto.
“It (the G-4’s move) means that they want permanent presence (on the Council) rather than permanent membership,” a diplomat told reporters on a day of fast developments at the UN.
The G-4, he said, had built their case arguing that they would break the monopoly of the existing permanent members.
“After much brave talk, they have now accepted a second class status in the council,” the diplomat said.
The draft, which is expected to be tabled at the end of this month, calls for six new permanent members, including two from Africa. Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa are the front-runners for the two slots.
But African diplomats were especially disappointed by the G-4 move. Many African nations were attracted to the G-4 proposal because they aspired to permanent membership with full rights.
Now with the veto power gone, the Africans may turn to the proposal of the Italy/Pakistan-led Uniting for Consensus (UFC) group for expansion of the Council with ten additional non-permanent re-electable seats.
Both the G-4 and UFC agree on expanding the Security Council from 15 members to 25, but differ on the category in which the enlargement should take place.
The UFC opposes new permanent members on the council and has been striving for consensus instead of a vote.
In circulating the revised text, the G-4 ignored calls from General Assembly President Jean Ping and major powers like China and the US not to rush matters and to try and promote a consensus.
Some analysts say the fact that the G-4 had decided to go for an early vote showed that time was not on their side.
