UNSC expansion important: Ministry of External Affairs

United Nations: The negotiating text on UNSC reform will now form the basis for negotiations to resume when the Inter-Governmental Negotiations resume in November.

Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the G-4 summit assumes significance in the backdrop of the UNGA decision.

It is only the second time that a G4 summit is being held, the first was in 2004 when the grouping was formed with the four very important countries coming together to give a strong push to Council reform.

Mr Swarup further said that UN reform is not restricted to an overhaul of the Council but also includes reforms in the world body’s governance structure.

Underscoring that the expansion and reform of the 15-nation Council is very important, Mr Swarup said when the world body was formed there were only 51 countries but today its membership has reached to 193 countries.

The Council has been expanded only once between 1963-1965 when a resolution was passed to increase the non-permanent members from 11 to 15.

“This gives a feeling to us that the UN Security Council of 2015 is a mirror of the geo-political realities of 1945 and not that of the 21st century,” Mr Swarup said, adding that only a reformed Council would be capable to properly address the challenges of the present days.

“We have the challenge of cyber security, international terrorism. There are wars in three continents, but Security Council is incapable of addressing them. Why? Because it is neither representative and there are questions on its legitimacy,” Mr Swarup said, adding that there is also a need to determine the relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly.