Fage
01-31-2009, 04:30 AM
Jan 30 ,2009
UNSC reform+ (AP) - ROME, Jan. 30 (Kyodo)—(EDS: ADD INFO IN 6TH GRAF)
The Italian Foreign Ministry said Friday it will invite foreign ministers from 70 U.N. member countries to Rome on Feb. 5 to discuss the proposed expansion of the U.N. Security Council. (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=U.N.+Security+Council&sid=breitbart.com)
But Italy, (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=italy&sid=breitbart.com) a key member of the Uniting for Consensus group, did not invite the so-called Group of Four -- Japan, India, Brazil and Germany -- a bloc which has a different position on how to reform the Security Council. (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=Security+Council&sid=breitbart.com)
The Italian move followed a U.N. General Assembly decision Thursday to kick off intergovernmental negotiations over U.N. reform on Feb. 19.
Italy and other members of the Uniting for Consensus Group apparently reacted against the U.N. decision, which was basically in line with a call by the Group of Four for an early start of intergovernmental talks over the matter.
The planned meeting in Rome is apparently designed for the Uniting for Consensus group to garner support from member nations which have yet to determine their position ahead of the Feb. 19 intergovernmental talks.
According to Italian diplomatic sources, not only Consensus group nations such as Mexico, Pakistan and South Korea (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=South+Korea&sid=breitbart.com) but also other nations like the United States, Russia and China have been also invited to the ministerial-level meeting.
While it is generally agreed that Security Council reform is necessary to ensure equitable representation in its membership, views are widely divergent on how to alter the current structure -- five permanent veto-wielding members and 10 nonpermanent members who serve two-year terms on the council.
The Uniting for Consensus group is pressing for expansion of the council, but only in the number of nonpermanent seats.
The group had been calling for U.N. reform to be discussed at the Open-Ended Working Group, a formal framework for negotiating the issue where unanimous consensus needs to be reached for any decision.
But the Group of Four -- all permanent-seat aspirants for the Security Council -- have been pressing for UNSC reform to be discussed at intergovernmental negotiations as progress can be quickened because decisions are based upon a two-thirds majority rather than unanimous agreement.
Source:http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D961K1G86&show_article=1
UNSC reform+ (AP) - ROME, Jan. 30 (Kyodo)—(EDS: ADD INFO IN 6TH GRAF)
The Italian Foreign Ministry said Friday it will invite foreign ministers from 70 U.N. member countries to Rome on Feb. 5 to discuss the proposed expansion of the U.N. Security Council. (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=U.N.+Security+Council&sid=breitbart.com)
But Italy, (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=italy&sid=breitbart.com) a key member of the Uniting for Consensus group, did not invite the so-called Group of Four -- Japan, India, Brazil and Germany -- a bloc which has a different position on how to reform the Security Council. (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=Security+Council&sid=breitbart.com)
The Italian move followed a U.N. General Assembly decision Thursday to kick off intergovernmental negotiations over U.N. reform on Feb. 19.
Italy and other members of the Uniting for Consensus Group apparently reacted against the U.N. decision, which was basically in line with a call by the Group of Four for an early start of intergovernmental talks over the matter.
The planned meeting in Rome is apparently designed for the Uniting for Consensus group to garner support from member nations which have yet to determine their position ahead of the Feb. 19 intergovernmental talks.
According to Italian diplomatic sources, not only Consensus group nations such as Mexico, Pakistan and South Korea (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=South+Korea&sid=breitbart.com) but also other nations like the United States, Russia and China have been also invited to the ministerial-level meeting.
While it is generally agreed that Security Council reform is necessary to ensure equitable representation in its membership, views are widely divergent on how to alter the current structure -- five permanent veto-wielding members and 10 nonpermanent members who serve two-year terms on the council.
The Uniting for Consensus group is pressing for expansion of the council, but only in the number of nonpermanent seats.
The group had been calling for U.N. reform to be discussed at the Open-Ended Working Group, a formal framework for negotiating the issue where unanimous consensus needs to be reached for any decision.
But the Group of Four -- all permanent-seat aspirants for the Security Council -- have been pressing for UNSC reform to be discussed at intergovernmental negotiations as progress can be quickened because decisions are based upon a two-thirds majority rather than unanimous agreement.
Source:http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D961K1G86&show_article=1