IBSA nations press for Security Council expansion

ByArunKumar

UnitedNations,Oct13(IANS)India,BrazilandSouthAfrica(IBSA)havevowedtoaccordhighestprioritytopromotingtheobjectivesofthepoornationsintheUNSecurityCouncilandmakingitsworkingmoretransparent.

InastatementissuedafterIndiaandSouthAfrica’selectionTuesdayasnon-permanentmembersofthecouncil,PermanentRepresentativesofthethreereiteratedacalltourgentlyexpandtheSecurityCounciltomakeitmorebroadlyrepresentative,efficientandtransparent.

India’sHardeepSinghPuri,Brazil’sMariaLuizaRibeiroViottiandSouthAfrica’sBasoSangqudescribeditasa”historicoccasionin2011inwhichallthreeIBSAcountrieswillserveintheUNSecurityCouncil.”

IndiaandSouthAfricabeginatwo-yearterminJanuary2011,whileBrazilbeganasimilartermthisyear.

Therepresentativesnotedthatascountriesfrom”theglobalSouth,India,BrazilandSouthAfricawill,asahighestpriority,promotetheprinciplesandobjectivesoftheSouthontheUNSecurityCouncilincludingtoworktomaketheSecurityCouncilmoretransparentinitsworkingmethods.”

TheyreiteratedthestatementissuedbyIBSAministersSep25duringtheUNGeneralAssemblydebatereaffirmigtheircommitmenttomultilateralismandtoincreasedparticipationofdevelopingcountriesinthedecision-makingbodiesofmultilateralorganisationsandinstitutions.

IBSAthenreiteratedtheurgentneedfortheUNtobereformedsoastobecomemorerepresentativeandreflectiveoftheneedsandprioritiesofdevelopingcountries,specificallytheUNSecurityCouncil.

TheenvoysreiteratedthecalloftheIBSAMinistersfortheurgentneedtoexpandtheSecurityCouncilinbothitspermanentandnon-permanentcategories,inordertoincreaseparticipationofdevelopingcountries.

“ThiswillmaketheUNSCmorebroadlyrepresentative,efficientandtransparentandwouldalsoenhanceitseffectivenessandlegitimacy,aswellastheimplementationofitsdecisions,”theysaid.

TheenvoysagainstressedtheirfirmcommitmenttocollaborateintheSecurityCouncilwiththeaimofmakingtheCouncilmoreresponsiveandtransparentintheexecutionofitsmandate.

CommittingtoenhancecooperationintheSecurityCouncilonallpriorityagendaitems,theysaid:”OnesuchpriorityareawillbetopromoteandenhancetheSecurityCouncil’scooperationwithregionalorganizations,particularlytheAfricanUnion’sPeaceandSecurityCouncil.”

(ArunKumarcanbecontactedatarun.kumar@ians.in)

–Indo-AsianNewsService