AFRICA: The African Union has introduced a United Nations resolution on Security Council expansion despite behind-the-scenes negotiations on a rival proposal presented by Japan, Brazil, Germany and India.
The draft resolution was a chance for Africa to put forward the case for why it needed permanent seats on the Security Council. However it was not clear whether the resolution would be put to a vote.
Nigeria's envoy, Aminu Bashir Wali, who presented the resolution to the UN General Assembly on Monday, called it "a reference point for negotiation with other member states and interested groups".
To underline the importance of the quest for council enlargement, foreign ministers from Japan, India, Brazil and Germany, aspirants for permanent council seats, came to New York to talk with foreign ministers or their deputies from Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Libya.
They agreed on a working group in New York to develop compromise proposals by Friday, after which the foreign ministers would meet again, probably in Geneva on July 25th.
No vote is expected before July 29th because of discussions in the General Assembly on secretary-general Kofi Annan's package of reforms ahead of a September UN summit.
Most Africa speakers said Africa was the only continent which did not have a permanent seat on the 15-member Security Council.
Latin America does not have a permanent seat, but the Africans consider the US a representative of the Americas, while South American countries do not.
"If we fail to seize this opportunity, the credibility and legitimacy of the Security Council and the entire system of global government will continue to erode," said South Africa's representative Xolisa Mabhongo.
However Algeria's UN envoy, Abdallah Baali, said the General Assembly should not "yield to artificial timetables that one would impose upon us", a position similar to those who want to delay any Security Council reform and an indication of a split in the 53-member African Union.
Germany, Japan, Brazil and India have called on the General Assembly to enlarge the Security Council from 15 to 25. This plan has six new permanent seats, including two for Africa, but new members would not have veto power.
The African Union's draft resolution asks for the council to be enlarged to 26 seats.It also advocates six new permanent seats but with veto privileges.
Expanding the Security Council has been under discussion for a dozen years, mainly because each region or nation has its own aspirations. Without African Union support, the four aspirants will not get enough votes for their resolution.
"It's not possible for any group to get two-thirds by itself," Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Sing said on Sunday. "So we have to find a way for our differences not only to narrow, but to disappear."
Among the current five permanent council members with veto power, the US and China are lobbying against all the plans under consideration. France and Britain support the four aspirants.
The last step in changing the council composition needs approval from the five powers.