Prime Minister Modi took vigorous initiative in hosting a summit of the G-4, namely Germany, Japan, and Brazil, on the sidelines of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Formed in 2005, G-4 has made a strong case for reforms in the Security Council based on the needs and aspirations of the 21st century. In his forceful speech, Modi said that there was rationale in the Security Council including the world’s largest democracies, major locomotives of the global economy, and voices from all the major continents into its fold. Calling General Assembly’s decision to commence text-based negotiations as “significant step”, Modi asserted that the exercise should be taken to its logical conclusion which means that reforms in the UNSC and inclusion of the G-4 members as permanent members of the SC should materialize in time bound manner.
G-4 has formally met after a gap of eleven years when they had taken up the question of rationalizing the structure of the Security Council. Nothing has happened on their repeated demand of expanding the size of the Security Council to accommodate legitimate members who have repeatedly vowed to strengthen the efforts of the United Nations in building a world free from fear and hunger. There is great validity in the point made by Modi and others that the times we are living in now are much different from the times when the Security Council was constituted. The scope and reach of Security Council has to be commensurate with the needs and aspirations of the people of digital century and in near future. An outdated Security Council needs to be invigorated with fresh voice and broader representative character.
This century has thrown up many challenges which the Security Council with its present format is unable to meet. Take the case of terrorism. It has surfaced globally in a new and most dangerous form as it challenges the very concept of democracy. No one country can fight terrorism single-handed because it has spread its tentacles far and deep. That is the reason why Modi and three other prospective countries are demanding global action against terrorism. At present the SC has no comprehensive or cut and dried formulae to meet the threat of global terrorism. Likewise, the climate change is another important matter that is posing serious threat to the humankind. It becomes important for the Security Council to tackle this problem globally and equitably. Trade and commerce among world countries has been touching new heights. Each country wants to increase the quantum of its exports and thus become more prosperous. This asks for reformed rules and strategies so that the benefits of trade percolate down to the man in the street.
India is the second largest country in the world and every fifth man in the world is an India. What justification is there in keeping India out of the Security Council? The issue of security has become very complicated for world communities. Low intensity war is taking place of conventional war. At the same time appearance of radicalized elements in different parts of the world, especially in the Middle East, has posed grave threat to world peace. We are witnessing how brutally people are murdered and what beastly treatment is meted out to women in Syria and Iraq regions. Women’s helplessness is exploited. These issues are of tremendous concern to modern society. It, therefore, becomes imperative that the world body and its executive arm called Security Council are reformed in a manner that these become more responsive and empowered. In a joint statement later, the G-4 leaders stressed that a more representative, legitimate and effective Security Council is needed more than ever to address the global conflicts and crises, which had spiraled in recent years.
Sometimes one begins to imagine if the reforms in Security Council are intentionally delayed or stalled. How should we explain that no substantial progress had been made since the 2005 World Summit where all the Heads of State and Government had unanimously supported early reform of the Security Council as an essential element of the overall effort to reform the United Nations? If nothing has moved in a decade and the aspiring countries are convinced of the legitimacy of their demand for membership, it will be a reflection on the Security Council and the United Nations. A large number of member countries from all the five continents have already expressed their support to the demand of G-4. It will be a sad day for the entire world body if there is division on the issue of reforming the Security Council. The fact that more member countries of the UN are willing to perform larger role in stabilizing world peace and expanding economic space for the world community is in itself a strong argument that cannot be treated cursorily.
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