Pakistan opposes creation of new permanent seats at UNSC

Permanent representative of Pakistan at the United Nations Masood Khan said that Pakistan opposes the creation new permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). “We are against the creation of permanent seats and new centers of privilege,” said Khan. Speaking at the United Nations Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council Reform, Pakistani envoy said that the G-4 countries, namely Brazil, India, Germany and Japan, are the real minority, four countries, no more no less. The G-4 wants all the other countries to support their exaltation to the Council as permanent members, as they think that they are now akin to the existing P-5. The envoy said that the G-4 thinks that “they are now rich and powerful and therefore would want to join the rich countries’ elite club”. He further alleges that, “by entering into the Council as permanent members, they also want to qualify for unwritten advantages and privileges such as overrepresentation in UN bodies, Specialised Agencies and the Secretariat.” Accusing the G-4 for pursuing their national interests not representing the Uniting for Consensus (UfC), the envoy said that the G-4 countries are monopolizing the discourse in many forums, including this one, and creating the illusion that they are speaking on behalf of the majority or the largely disenfranchised developing countries. “Their minority interests have been moved to the center stage and are now being peddled as majority positions,” said Khan. Supporting the UfC’s Italy-Colombia proposal, the envoy said, “The only way to move forward is to explore a compromise solution that reflects the interests of all member states.” The UfC’s proposal is designed to aggregate the interests of all states – small, medium-sized and large – the entire family, not the privileged few, added Khan. Elaborating the proposal, he said that it would increase non-permanent seats; and will create long-term seats in the Council for 3 to 5 years or six years maximum through immediate re-election of the 2-year term seats.