India warns 'least common denominator' model of UNSC reforms could derail major change

Arul Louis

United Nations, Nov 12 (IANS) India has warned that a 'lowest common denominator' approach to reforming the Security Council could derail real major change. 

The "lowest common denominator" in reforming the Council should not lead to "mere tinkering" of the system being portrayed as a major reform, Permanent Representative P. Harish told the General Assembly on Monday.

"The development of a consolidated model based on 'convergences' should not lead to a race to the bottom to trace the lowest common denominator," he said.

"There is every danger that the search for such a lowest common denominator might be used as a smokescreen to attempt a mere tinkering of the existing framework of the UN Security Council and terming it as a major reform," he added.

The Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN), as the process for Council reforms is known, has been deadlocked because of opposition by a small group of countries to text-based negotiations.

One of the suggested ways to move the stalled negotiations forward is to develop a model for a reformed Council based on inputs from member countries leading to the adoption of a negotiating text on which the discussions can continue.

Harish said, "While we seek real tangible progress in the IGN, including with regard to the development of a new 'model' of reform of the Security Council as a precursor to text-based negotiations, we urge caution."

He said that if it only led to minor changes, "this could indefinitely postpone significant elements, such as expansion in the permanent category and addressing under-representation of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, to a distant future."

Many countries, including those opposed to expanding the permanent membership of the Council, support longer terms for some elected seats.

The group opposing adding permanent members, Uniting for Consensus (UfC), includes Pakistan and is led by Italy.

Speaking for the group, Italy's Permanent Representative Maurizio Massari said that while they oppose more permanent members "we propose longer-term, re-electable seats, with a flexibility to accommodate the positions of other negotiating groups and the unique dynamics of each regional group".

In a "least common denominator" scenario, there is the danger that presenting the longer-term membership as having wider support -- or convergence -- could promote that as an immediate solution and postpone any move towards expanding permanent membership.

"Convergence is not consensus," Harish said.

"As a member of the Global South, we believe that 'representation' stands as the unassailable prerequisite for both 'legitimacy' and 'effectiveness' of not just the Council, but the UN as a whole," he added.

While the Council's basic structure is stuck in the post-World II era with the five winners in that war monopolising the permanent membership with veto powers in the Council, he said that younger organisations have been "much more adaptive and nimbler".

He cited the example of G20, the group of major industrialised and emerging economies that under India's presidency welcomed the African Union as a member last year.

"The Security Council," he said, "has too often found itself paralysed by the geopolitical realities of today, which have evolved far beyond the realm of that of 1945."

A more equitable Council is essential in today's interconnected world, he said, and "that sentiment was also clearly reflected in the Pact for the Future" laying out the roadmap for the UN as it turns 80 next year that was adopted by the world leaders at their September summit.

India is a member along with Brazil, Germany, and Japan of the G4 which advocates for Council reforms and mutually supports their claims for permanent membership.

Speaking on behalf of the four countries, Germany's Permanent Representative Antje Leendertse, said, "More than 140 participants in this year's General Debate called for UN reform, surpassing last year's number once again."

"This number is above the threshold of two-thirds of the General Assembly (membership) and shows there is clear and increasing momentum for the reform of the Council," she said.

"We are in favour of discussing this consolidated model, reflecting the positions expressed by the majority of Member States, as soon as possible," she added.

Japan's Permanent Representative Yamazaki Kazuyuki said, "To achieve substantial progress towards text-based negotiations, we are eager to see the submission of more models, especially from Africa, so as to forge a consolidated model in the current IGN cycle."

--IANS

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