G4 nations express common vision for UNSC reform

India and other G4 countries have expressed their common vision for a reformed UN Security Council, seeking a concise working document which will serve as a basis for further negotiations on expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories.

Foreign Secretary of India Ranjan Mathai, Brazil's Minister of External Relations Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Germany's Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle and Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba met at the United Nations on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly to exchange views on UNSC reform.

They expressed the view that strong support for an expansion in both categories should be reflected in the negotiation process among member states and called for the drafting of a concise working document as the basis for further negotiations.

They renewed their common vision of a reformed Security Council, which takes into consideration contributions made by countries to the maintenance of international peace and security and other purposes of the organisation, as well as the need for increased representation of developing countries in both categories in order to better reflect the current geopolitical realities.

"The G4 countries reiterated their commitments as aspiring new permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as their support for each other's candidatures," a joint press statement of the G4 meeting said.  

The four nations also reaffirmed their view that Africa needs to be represented in the permanent membership of an enlarged Council.

They underlined the need to achieve a concrete outcome in the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly and expressed their commitment to continue to work in close cooperation and with flexibility with other member states and groups of member states in genuine text-based negotiations.

"They also expressed their determination to inject greater political momentum into the reform process, including with a view to the holding of a high-level meeting on Security Council reform," the statement said.

The G4 nations took stock of the progress made so far on the Security Council reform, including discussions held during the eighth round of the inter-governmental negotiations.

They shared the assessment that an "overwhelming" majority of member states voiced support for an expansion of the Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories.

They also noted the assessment made in this regard by Chairman of the inter-governmental negotiations Ambassador Zahir Tanin, in his letter dated July 2012 to the President of the UN General Assembly.

The G4 nations welcomed the decision by the General Assembly to immediately continue the process of inter-governmental negotiations in the informal plenary of the 67th Session, building on the progress achieved and the recommendations made by the Chairman.