UK Backs Permanent Seats for India, Japan, Africa at UN Security Council

On Thursday, the United Kingdom announced its support for an expansion of the United Nations Security Council, including a permanent place for Africa, to reflect the current and future state of the world.

“We want to see permanent African representation and membership extending to India, Brazil, Germany and Japan,” said Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

I know this is a bold fix. But he told the Chatham House foreign affairs think tank in London.

The UK is a permanent member of the Security Council along with China, France, Russia and the US, and sits with 10 non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms.

US President Joe Biden earlier indicated his support for expanding the United Nations Security Council with African representation, and granting the African Union a permanent place in the G20.

He also outlined his support for a permanent seat for Latin America, and support for bids from Japan and India.

Developing nations have long complained about the lack of a say in the council, where the five permanent members wield veto power, and have argued that a flaw could make the body obsolete.

But so far, repeated calls for reform have come to nothing, and experts doubt the five permanent members will give up their powers, despite a convincing argument for change.

Cleverly’s support for an expanded body came in a speech that called for a “renewed multilateral system”, to make it fit for purpose in the 21st century.

He said multilateral agreements such as the 1945 United Nations Charter have served the world well since then, on issues from nuclear non-proliferation to climate change.

But there was no guarantee that they would survive for the same amount of time in the future, especially with challenges such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

He wittily described the Kremlin’s military action as a “calculated attack on the United Nations Charter” and on the principles of the rules-based international order.

The global geopolitical and economic center of gravity was shifting from Europe and North America towards the Indo-Pacific region.

He added that demographic changes are putting Africa at the forefront, making it more important than ever to give countries there a voice on issues that affect them, such as tackling debt, poverty and climate change.

He added that the reform also needs to be extended to the World Trade Organization to reflect the digital economy and international financial institutions to address climate finance and debt reduction.

(This story was not edited by the News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – France Press agency)