India criticises slow pace of UNSC reform process, says 'obfuscation' by member States is blocking early reform

United Nations: India has criticised the slow pace of UN Security Council reform process, saying the adoption of “opaque” methodologies, non-attribution of assertions and “obfuscation” of references by the member states is blocking the early reform of the world body. [caption id=“attachment_3036640” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A file photo of Syed Akbaruddin. Agencies[/caption] India’s Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin said on Wednesday that the document co-chairs produced on the meetings of the Intern-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) for reforms during the current General Assembly session had serious gaps and did not properly reflect the proceedings. He was addressing an informal plenary meeting of the IGN on ‘Question of equitable representation on an increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Council’. “In this paper, what was not requested has been undertaken and what has been requested has been left out,” he said. “If we are to follow an inclusive approach, then requests with broad support should all be reflected. Alternatively, if we are to adopt an exclusionary approach, then any new suggestions opposed by anyone should be left out, for lack of consensus. We can adopt either of these methodologies, but we can’t adopt one methodology for a set of suggestions and another for another set of suggestions,” he said. He said the G-4 (India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan) and the L-69 (Group of 42 developing countries) had made several suggestions but they have not been included in the document. “This may be, perhaps, on account of objections from some, although those suggestions had wide support. It would, therefore, appear that you have followed an exclusionary approach. If that is so, we too join all the others who have expressed their objections to a series of new issues that have been inserted, without any clarification of whether they enjoy broad support or not,” he said. He said, “The adoption of opaque methodologies, non-attribution of assertions and obfuscation of references is the antithesis of usual practices and procedures of the General Assembly.” The G-4 grouping has been seeking expansion of the permanent and non-permanent seats of the security council to make the powerful UN body more representative and reflective of the changing global order. The four nations support each other’s bids for permanent seats on an expanded security council.