G4 open to not exercising veto initially as permanent members

IN A bid to get the UN reform process moving, India and other G4 nations have said they were open to innovative ideas and willing to not exercise veto as permanent members of a reformed Security Council until a decision on it has been taken.

In a joint statement, delivered by India’s Permanent Representative to theunambassadorsyedakbaruddin ataninter-governmentalnegotiations meeting Tuesday, the G4 nations of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan emphasisedthatanoverwhelmingmajorityoftheunmemberstatessupports theexpansionofbothpermanentand non-permanent membership in a reformed Security Council.

On the issue of the veto, Akbaruddin said the question of veto has been addressed by many from differing perspectives but the G4 approach isthattheproblemofvetoisnotoneof quantity (of extending it immediately to new permanent members) but of quality — of introducing restrictions.

“Our position is imbued with this spirit. While the new permanent members would as a principle have the same responsibilities and obligations as(the)currentpermanentmembers, they shall not exercise the veto until a decisiononthematterhasbeentaken during a review,” the G4 statement said.theblocwarnedthattheissueof veto was important but member states should not allow it to have a “veto over the process of council reform.

Akbaruddin, on behalf of the G4, said the grouping was open to “innovative” ideas compiled in a composite text to achieve UN reform. He asserted that mere expansion in the category of non-permanent Security Councilmemberswillnotaddressthe “malaise” afflicting the UN body. “While we are aware of no other way to proceed but this, we are open to innovative ideas to rework the UN system,” the statement said. The G4 nationssaiditwasunfortunatethatthey have not heard any innovative ideas and that a few countries brought rejectedmodelsforconsiderationofthe member states yet again. PTI