The Security Council currently has five veto-wielding permanent members—Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States—and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. -File Photo

The collapse of the G-4 drive for permanent membership on the world  body’s high table becomes obvious from it’s recent letter to General Assembly President Joseph Deiss requesting him to resume the inter-governmental negotiations on reforming the 15-nation Council, a process they had abandoned and went on to circulate a resolution seeking expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories.

But the resolution, which the G-4 thought would be a short-cut to their goals, won—in their own words, 80 pledges of the support—not even a simply majority in the 192-member Assembly when 128 votes, or two-thirds majority, is required.

Critics of G-4 pointed out that since the resolution has not been  tested on the floor of the Assembly, even their claim of 80 member states, as mentioned in the G-4 letter, could be a bit of exaggeration.

“This (the claim of 80) is an admission of defeat, to say the very least … a shattering blow to their ambitions,” a European diplomat said.

“Obviously, the reform model advocated by G-4 is not acceptable to the  member states.” Four months ago, the G-4 opted out of the inter-governmental negotiations, saying that the talks were not making any progress.

The G-4 underscored the need for the Council’s reform, which they had virtually reduced to mere enlargement and categories—ignoring other important issues like working methods, question of veto, regional representation and relationship between the General Assembly and the Security Council.

Read More: http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/09/india-abandons-quest-for-permanent-un-security-council-seat.html