Pakistan has called for greater allocation of seats to Africa and Asia-the two largest regions-as well as the Group of Latin America and Caribbean countries (GRULAC) on the Security Council as UN member states continued their negotiations on expanding the 15-member body.
"We want to accommodate the interests of all states and regional groupings," Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon told a closed-door session of the General Assembly on reforming the most powerful UN body aimed at making it more representative and more effective.
"Our position is clear. In any expansion, each seat allocated permanently to an individual country, will be a permanent blow to equitable geographical distribution or regional representation in any sense of the word," he said in an obvious reference to the bid by India and some other countries for a permanent seat on the Security Council.
"To make the composition more equitable, the expansion must address the under-representation of certain regions vis-a-vis those who are over-represented," Ambassador Haroon said while participating in a discussion on the question of equitable representation. "This can be best achieved through addition of regular non-permanent seats, which in our view, is the most equitable and fair option by any comparison.
This is our preference", he said. "But in the interest of compromise, we are also open to other feasible and equitable options, based on election, immediate re-election and longer terms for regional seats, which provide for fair rotation and opportunities of representation for all."
The Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, has 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms and there are five permanent members with veto power whose support is essential for any reform to be adopted; the US, Russia, China, Britain and France. Despite the general agreement on enlarging the council, member states remain sharply divided over the details.
In July 2005, the so-called Group of Four "India, Germany, Japan and Brazil" aspired to permanent seats without veto rights on a 25-member council, with six new permanent seats without veto power, including two for the African region, and four additional non-permanent seats.
The Italy/Pakistan-led "Uniting for Consensus" (UfC) group opposed any expansion of the permanent members on the Security Council. It sought enlargement of the council to 25 seats, with 10 new non-permanent members who would be elected for two-year terms, with the possibility of immediate re-election.
The African Unions called for the Council to be enlarged to 26 seats, one more permanent seat than the G-4 proposal. Its proposal for six new permanent seats was the same as the G-4s, except that it would give the new members veto power.
In his speech, the Pakistan ambassador said regional representation ensures broader participation. The African position, which is the result of consensus, is a stand taken for and on behalf of the region, and is thus different from those who seek seats for themselves.
"As opposed to individual aspirations of some countries in other regions, Africas continent specific demand for permanent seats and equal rights is unique and special. It is a concept that we have supported as an exception.
Noting that many major issues on the Councils agenda relate to the Islamic world, Ambassador Haroon said, "The OIC and the Arab League thus have vital interests in the reform, and have clear demands for representation in an enlarged Council. While these two are cross regional groupings, their representation can be accommodated through arrangements between Asia and Africa".
In addition, he proposed allocation of more seats to be shared between Africa and Asia on rotation basis, which will specifically provide for continuous representation of the Islamic world on the Council. In this regard, he said that cross-regional sharing of seats can also be attractive for other groupings and even the European Union.
"In line with the new realities and looking at the work of the Council, it is important to increase interaction with and to embed the role of the regional organisations in a Security Council of the future," Ambassador Haroon said. "We should not miss the opportunity to do so only because of fixation to the current geographical group format."
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