On Friday night, July 8, Germany, Brazil, India and Japan made progress in their proposal for reform of the United Nations Security Council.
Official representatives of the four countries – which comprise the so-called G-4 – met at the Brazilian Embassy in London to discuss the creation of six new permanent seats, involve the African Union, and seek unity in their proposals.
The Brazilian Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, the German Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Relations, Joschka Fischer, the Indian Minister of Foreign Relations, Natwar-Singh, and the Japanese Minister of Foreign Relations, Machimura Nobutaka, met with the Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Relations, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuto-Addo, who represented the contact group of the mechanism established by the African Union (AU) to accompany UN reform.
The presence of the Ghanain Minister also reinforced the need to examine the sequels of the summit meetings of the AU in Sirte (Libya) and of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in Santa Lucia.
The G-4 presented its framework resolution proposal and its final version, including proposals made by the African countries. The final version should be presented to the UN General Assembly next week.
The Ministers reiterated the importance of reforming the Security Council to represent current global realities, not the world of 60 years ago.
In practice, the meeting of the five Ministers implies the consolidation of the proposal to expand the number of permanent seats on the Security Council.
The G-4 defends the expansion of the Council, in both permanent and temporary seats. It also calls for more equitable representation, through the inclusion of developed and developing countries.
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