G4, African Union fail to reach accord: UN Council expansion
By Our Correspondent
UNITED NATIONS, July 18: After failing to reach a compromise with the African Union on their competing resolutions to expand the UN Security Council on Sunday the foreign Ministers of Japan, Germany , India and Brazil decided to delay seeking a vote, but acknowledged that without an agreement their plan is doomed. “We can’t both win ,” Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh said referring to two plans on the table . “It’s not possible for any group to get two-thirds by itself. So we have to find a way for our differences not only to narrow them down, but to remove them altogether,” Mr Singh said.
The four aspirants and the 53-member African Union, which also sent ministers from Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Libya, agreed to meet in Geneva on July 25 in another effort to bridge their sharp differences.
The African Union resolution seeks to expand the Security Council from 15 to 26 seats . It wants veto powers for new permanent members and an additional seat for Africa.
The four nations would now have to wait until July 29 to seek the vote given the tight schedule of the assembly, Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura told reporters after the meeting between the G-4 and African Union ministers.
Mr Machimura also suggested the vote might be delayed further, saying it would be sought “in the case that a unified resolution can be worked out.”
Germany’s UN Ambassador Gunter Pleuger told reporters before the meeting ,”it is absolutely important we come to a decision before end of July.”
Nigerian Foreign Minister Olu Adeniji refused to comment on the outcome of the meeting with the G-4 , but said “we will have as many (working-level) meetings as we can. But he stressed the African Union will officially submit its resolution to the UN General Assembly on Monday.”
But uncertainty remains over whether the two sides can merge their proposals as there are differences among members of the African Union, the largest regional group in the United Nations.
The dimming prospects for their initial plan to seek the vote around Wednesday had already emerged from a meeting earlier in the day between G-4 foreign ministers and the assembly’s president, Jean Ping.
Speaking to reporters along with the four ministers after the meeting, Ping said he and G-4 representatives will start talks on the subject “again from July 22.”
Machimura said the G-4 and the African side remained apart on the two issues of veto powers for new permanent members and how many non-permanent members to add.
But he said he believed the two sides could reach a “consensus” on the veto. The G-4 proposes freezing veto rights for new permanent members for 15 years, while the African Union insists on immediate veto powers.
On new non-permanent members, Mr Machimura said there was a “little more difference,” indicating it may be tougher for the two sides to resolve. The G-4 is calling for four new members, but the African Union wants five.
The “Uniting for Consensus,” which includes Italy, Pakistan. Mexico, Canada and South Korea, is opposed to increasing permanent members, it has called for an expansion of non-permanent members only.
Among the current permanent members, United States, China and Russia are opposed to immediate expansion of the UN Security Council. They want broadest possible agreement.
