Pressing for UN Security Council reforms, India has suggested a compromise solution on the tricky issue of what kind of veto power the new permanent members should hold.
The G-4 — Brazil, Germany, India and Japan — hold the view that the new permanent members should have the same responsibilities and obligations as the current permanent members the US, the UK, Russia, France and China.
However, the new permanent members will hold off wielding the veto power for fifteen years after the reforms come into place.
“The new permanent members shall not exercise the right of veto until the question of the extension of the right of veto to new permanent members has been decided upon in the framework of the review mandated fifteen years after the entry into force of the Council reform,” said Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s envoy to the UN.
Speaking at the ongoing discussion on the reforms this week, Mr Puri said that this compromise would “ensure that the veto does not veto Council reform.”
At this stage only a small number of countries want the veto to be abolished altogether but a large majority would prefer some restrictions on the use of veto especially in under certain circumstances like genocide, crimes against humanity and serious violations of international huma-nitarian law; war crimes, ethnic cleansing and terrorism. The deliberations on the veto are part of the growing momentum to achieve concrete progress on UNSC reforms. This year the discussion kicked off with the chairperson of security reform process Zahir Tanin, , asking member-states to submit proposals that can be worked into a negotiating text. —PTI