Security Council: Pak again blocks India

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh prepares a tall agenda led by terror-related issues for his first official meeting with newly elected Pakistan President Asif Zaradari...

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh prepares a tall agenda led by terror-related issues for his first official meeting with newly elected Pakistan President Asif Zaradari on Wednesday, Pakistan has yet again stepped up diplomatic efforts to scuttle the latest UN efforts to revive negotiations on expanding the Security Council.

India received a boost earlier this month when the outgoing UNGA president Srgjan Kerim 8212; followed by Nicaraguan successor Miguel D8217;Esco Brockmann 8212; revived the entire process by calling for inter-governmental negotiations and fixed a deadline of February 29 next year for a final decision. But Pakistan has been swift in getting the Coffee Club countries, also known as United for Consensus UFC, to stall the process.

Anticipating that the UFC 8212; Pakistan, Italy, Argentina, Mexico, Egypt and some other countries 8212; could object to this decision, the UNGA president invited Pakistan and Egypt along with United Kingdom and Japan for a meeting on July 21. The proposal was then mooted with them to start open-ended inter-governmental negotiations with the widest possible consensus to arrive at a decision soon.

While Japan and UK agreed, sources said, Egypt and Pakistan raised objections to the move saying it contravened the seven principles on which consensus was sought to be built for UNSC expansion. Pakistan said it would get back to them after consultations with other UFC members.

This process dragged on though in the meantime Pakistan concluded that what was being proposed would weigh in the favour of G4 countries 8212; India, Germany, Brazil and Japan 8212; and called for a meeting of the UFC on September 4.

At this meeting, sources said, it was decided to oppose the move on the grounds that any negotiation should be preceded by an agreement on the framework, modalities and negotiables. The issue is now expected to come to a head at the UNGA this week given that the UNGA president announced a decision last week to start inter-governmental negotiations with a deadline of February next year.

Pakistan with tacit support from China has been actively blocking G4 efforts in the past few years to agree on a formulation for UNSC expansion. Earlier, Pakistan and China worked together to ensure that there is no consensus in the Africa Union over two countries that could be nominated from the continent as permanent members.

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While Africa did have its own bitter politics over the issue, there was hope after the G4 decided to give up veto rights in a bid to reach a broader understanding with existing UNGA members. However, African countries insisted on veto rights and raised objections to the number of berths being sought for Africa. It was later revealed that Pakistan and China had stepped up diplomatic pressure to end even the remotest possibility of a consensus in Africa.

Caught unaware by this move, Pakistan is again stepping up diplomatic efforts and while the two leaders have a lot on their plate to discuss, this issue could possibly be raised though officials are expecting little outcome.