By NNN-PTI,
United Nations : Making a strong pitch for expansion of the powerful UN Security council in both permanent and non-permanent categories, India has called for immediate start of inter-governmental negotiations on the issue.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, its delegate Vijay Bahuguna, MP, firmly rejected the “minority” view that expansion only in the non-permanent category would suffice, saying this “unrealistic” argument has already been proved wrong by the history.
“We should not forget that we had expanded the Security Council in 1965 with addition of only non-permanent members, but problems with the Council have only exacerbated,” he told the delegates.
Non-permanent members, he said, have not been able to implement their ideas or prevent encroachment of the Council in areas beyond its competence under the charter nor improve its decision-making process. Nor have they been able to enhance the participation of countries contributing troops to peacekeeping operations in the decision making, he added.
India along with Japan, Germany and Brazil, known as Group of four or G-4, is a strong contender for the permanent slot in the Security Council. “Uniting for Consensus (UFC),” a group led by Pakistan and Spain, opposes expansion in the permanent category, saying that they do not want to create more centers of power.
It is self-evident, Bahuguna said, that real change and improvement can come only through inducting new permanent members through the principles of election and subsequent accountability to the wider membership through an appropriate review mechanism.