G4’s UNSC expansion proposal ‘zero-sum’: Pak

Pakistan says G4 proposal is likely to benefit only the G4 nations.

Pakistan has opposed a key proposal by India,Japan,Germany and Brazil to expand the powerful UNSC,describing it as “zero-sum” that is likely to benefit only the G-4 nations.

The G4’s draft resolution was the focus of the first day of the eighth round of inter-governmental negotiations on UNSC reforms that began here yesterday.

The four nations had issued a joint statement that said their proposal focuses on two aspects of Security Council reform,which is expansion in membership in both categories,permanent and non-permanent,and that the working methods of the 15-member Council should be improved.

Abdullah Hussain Haroon,the Pakistani Ambassador to the UN,said the G-4’s “short resolution,” “is nothing but a short cut whose fate too is obvious.”

Pakistan,which has joined the UNSC as a non-permanent member for a two year term beginning this year,said the “short resolution” has neither garnered meaningful support nor allowed progress in the reform process.

“Lacking space for compromise,the G-4 proposal is zero-sum in nature,with 4 winners and 184 losers. Therefore,it has neither garnered meaningful support nor allowed progress in the reform process. These important issues cannot be side-stepped,” the top Pakistani envoy said.

The UN has 193 members but excluding the five veto-holding permanent members,the tally comes to 188.

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Haroon said despite nearly a year-long intense campaign,the G-4 has not been able to muster significant support for its draft resolution.

“The Security Council is too important an institution to be subjected to such misadventures and experimentation,” he said.

The Pakistani envoy underlined that the negotiation processes must be characterized by the spirit of flexibility and the political will to compromise.