“Small group” of nations obstructing UNSC expansion, says India

United Nations: In a hard hitting address at an informal session of the United Nations General Assembly India came down hard on a "small group of countries" for continually obstructing the expansion process of the Security Council. In his address the Indian representative, Hardeep Singh Puri, demanded an intensification of efforts by the United Nations General Assembly to expand the Security Council in order to reflect current realities of the world.

The 192-member General Assembly has, for long, been considering ways to reform the 15-member Security Council. India, Japan, Germany and Brazil, known as the ''Group of Four,'' are widely acknowledged as the most deserving contenders for permanent council seats whenever such an expansion should take place.

The Council has five permanent members who owe their position in this apex world body to the fact that they were the victors of WWII.

Puri said: "If the status quo were representative, effective, responsive or fair, we could have lived with it.

"But as is clear to all, this is not the case, and the Council is in urgent need for reform to gain credibility and reflect the modern day realities," Puri said.

"This is crucial also to ensuring its legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness," he said.

Though discussions were initiated more than a decade back, the open ended working group (OEWG) of the assembly has failed to arrive at any conclusions, with member states reiterating their respective positions at each session.

Inter-governmental negotiation on specific proposals was initiated in order to achieve some progress. This process too has been stymied.

In his address Ambassador Puri rejected the intermediate approach as articulated by a "small group of countries" which advocates that the Council be expanded in the non-permanent category initially and issue of expansion in the permanent category is held over until first review which could take place 15 years or so.

This proposal, Puri pointed out, does not enjoy the support of 53-member African group and a proposal which has such overwhelming support cannot be "placed at the same level as that supported by one country".

Any real change, Puri said, must involve greater representation for Africa, including in the permanent membership.

During the first round, the African Group, like most other delegations, had highlighted their preference for an expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories.

They had also reiterated other demands of the Ezulwini consensus, including the right of veto for new permanent members, Puri said.