Security Council Reforms Gain Momentum With Consensus On Increasing Size

By siliconindia | Monday, 29 February 2016, 11:21 Hrs

UNITED NATIONS: Security Council reforms have gained momentum with a consensus emerging on increasing the size of the 193-member global body to the mid-20s despite opposition from Russia and the US at the recent negotiating session, according to diplomatic sources. While the issue of adding permanent members was not on the session's agenda and was scheduled for later, Pakistan and a group of countries served notice that they would oppose any such move.

Despite these differences the "momentum of convergence is gaining speed" for reforms, a diplomat who was at the February 22 meeting told IANS. The diplomat cited the overwhelming support for increasing the total number of Council members from 15 to the mid-20s and for other reforms. These reforms include making the Council's working more transparent, emphasising mediation over military force, and more involvement of non-member countries in its activities.

This was the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reforms (IGN) after the General Assembly overcame stiff opposition last year to adopt a text to base the discussions on. IANS put together this account of the closed door meeting from conversations with sources who attended the meeting and speeches released by some countries.

The US and Russia wanted the size of the Council restricted to 20 asserting that anything more would undermine its efficiency. Limiting it to 20 would make it virtually impossible to add permanent members because there would then be no room for any non-permanent members, which would be the priority of most countries to broaden the representation on the UN's highest decision-making body.

Washington and Moscow have, however, endorsed adding permanent members, with India as one of them. But a 20-member limit on the Council could nullify this.

The other permanent members, Britain and France, backed the mid-20s number, while China did not take a stand.

India supported going up to 27 and Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin said: "Efficiency is not merely an issue of numbers but stems from a broader set of factors such as credibility, equitability, legitimacy and representativeness."

Source: IANS