Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to United Nations (UN) Munir Akram has firmlt opposed the addition of new permanent seats in the Security Council of the world body, Radio Pakistan reported on Tuesday.
Addressing the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiations Framework during the 75th session of the UN, Akram said that the creation of new permanent seats will defeat the purpose of Security Council reforms and make it less representative.
"At the 1st meeting of the IGN today, I reiterated Pakistan’s principled position for a comprehensive #UNSC reform. We are prepared to breathe new life in the IGN process but some want to kill it," Akram said and added, "Pakistan and the UfC believe that creation of new permanent seats will defeat the purpose of SC reform. This will make the Council less representative, less effective, and more divided, and will diminish the right of the vast majority of the @UN membership to serve on the Council."
The Permanent Representative said that the proposal of the United for Consensus (UfC) group can accommodate the aspirations of the African Group, the Small Island Developing states (SIDs), and the Arab Group, and the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC). The G4 is unlikely to apply Africa's regional approach to their own regions.
The UNSC has 15 members and five of them — the US, UK, Russia, China, and France — are permanent members, who have veto rights. The ten elected or non-permanent members get elected for a tenure of two years. At present, the non-permanent members are Estonia, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Niger, Norway, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines, Tunisia, and Vietnam.