G4 nations aver UNSC 'failed' to address global conflicts; seek urgent reform in UN bodies

Amid increasing conflicts across the globe, the foreign ministers of the G4 countries -- Brazil, Germany, India and Japan -- agreed that the Security Council is not able to address the issues "effectively". The leaders urged the UN Security Council to bring an urgent reform in order to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities in a better way. During the meeting, the G4 nations also said if UNSC take up the conflict issues, it would enhance the effectiveness, legitimacy and implementation of its decisions. The critical remarks came as G4 ministers-- Brazilian Foreign Minister Carlos Alberto Franco Franca, EAM S Jaishankar, Germany's Annalena Baerbock and Japan's Yoshimasa Hayashi -- underscored that conflicts around the globe not only increase complexity in the system but also affect other interconnected global challenges.

They opined these challenges should be resolved immediately and suggested the United Nations bring reforms to its main decision-making bodies.  "The G4 Ministers assessed that today’s conflicts around the globe, as well as increasingly complex and interconnected global challenges, have brought to the forefront the urgency of reforming the United Nations and updating its main decision-making bodies," a joint statement released by the G4 ministers said.  "Ministers agreed that the inability of the Security Council to effectively address these challenges vividly demonstrates the urgent need for UN Security Council reform in order to better reflect contemporary geopolitical realities, and to enhance its effectiveness," it added.

G4 Ministers stress on expansion of the Security Council

Reviewing the work of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the G4 Ministers expressed concern at the continued lack of meaningful progress in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform. Further, they agreed that in order to produce concrete outcomes, the IGN must be guided by the decision-making requirements and working methods laid out in the Charter of the United Nations and in the rules and procedures of the General Assembly. The Ministers expressed disappointment at concerted attempts to stall the process, and renewed their commitment to addressing the issue in a decisive manner and with increased urgency in the 77th Session of the UNGA.

The G4 Ministers welcomed the clear recommendation of the President of the 76th General Assembly to "gradually move the process towards text-based negotiations”, and expressed hope that this guidance would be followed by all delegations in the 77th General Assembly Session. The G4 Ministers reiterated that expansion of the Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership is essential to make the body more representative, legitimate and effective. The Ministers agreed on the need for enhanced role and presence of developing countries and of major contributors to the United Nations to enhance the capacity of the Council to respond effectively to the complex and evolving challenges the world faces today on questions of international peace and security.

Image: Twitter/@DrSJaishankar