THE UN: Japan, Germany, Brazil and India yesterday jointly welcomed a report from a United Nations panel proposing an expansion of the Security Council by nine members - from 15 to 24. In a statement, they also expressed their determination to win a seat each, on a permanent basis. Deaglán de Bréadún, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, reports
"The expansion of both categories of Security Council membership, permanent and non-permanent, and the inclusion of developing countries in both, will remedy the council's structural shortcomings," they said.
The 16-member panel was set up to explore ways for the UN to become more relevant to international political developments. But the report's point will be somewhat blunted because the panel could not decide on how new seats on the Council should be allocated.
Instead, the report suggests two options: expand the number of permanent members by six and the number of two-year seats by three or add one two-year seat and have a new tier of eight seats with members serving renewable four-year terms.
At present there are five permanent members, the P5, while 10 seats are filled by election for a two-year term. The P5 are China, France, Russia, UK and US and they all have veto powers. The new report envisages no other countries being given the veto.
Meanwhile, the US has refused to comment as yet on the report's specifics which it described as a "serious effort" to revamp the UN.
"As a whole, we find this an ambitious report," said a State Department spokesman.
Japan has explicit US backing in its campaign for a seat, unlike Brazil, Germany and India.
In New York, a Japanese government spokesman said his country favoured the proposal for six extra permanent seats. Reports indicate that Japan also wants the veto but will not insist on it.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has indicated a favourable attitude to German membership of the council but a spokeswoman made no comment when asked about the Japanese candidature.
Last September, a spokesman said Japan needed to address its past military activities, an implicit reference to its role in the second World War and beforehand.
It is understood that India is unhappy about the notion of new permanent seats without a veto power, believing that all permanent members should have the same status, that is they should all have the veto or none should have it. India is the only nuclear power among the informal group of four candidates. Germany is thought to be content to achieve permanent membership without the veto.
Ireland could be expected to support the candidacy of Germany as an EU partner. The 95-page report lists Ireland as one of several countries which made "generous financial contributions" to enable the panel to conduct its work.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said the Irish contribution was €100,000. A tentative plan to establish a national group in Ireland to "feed into" the work of the UN panel was not proceeded with, however.
Most attention has focused on the report's recommendations on Security Council reform. There was some expectation that the panel might also have suggested a re-wording of the UN Charter to allow for greater flexibility when member-states believed a major attack from outside was imminent.
Disappointment is likely in some US political circles that the report simply suggests the Council should take a more proactive role.