The G4 countries India, Brazil, Germany and Japan have renewed their push for UN Security Council reform, calling its current eight-decade-old structure “anachronistic” and out of step with today’s geopolitical realities, according to a joint statement released on Thursday.
The foreign ministers of the four G4 nations met in New York on September 22 on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session and said reform of the UNSC was “more necessary than ever” given the increasingly challenging global environment.
The ministers said the Council is currently unable to effectively carry out its core responsibility of maintaining international peace and security.
G4 wants more permanent and non-permanent UNSC members
At the heart of the G4’s demand is an expansion of the Security Council in both its permanent and non-permanent categories.
The four countries said the Council needs to better represent regions that remain underrepresented or have no representation, particularly Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean. They also called for greater participation of countries that make significant contributions to maintaining international peace and security.
The G4 said expanding the Council in both categories is supported by a majority of UN member states and should be central to any meaningful reform.
India, G4 back Africa’s push for permanent seat
The G4 also reiterated its support for Africa’s demand for greater representation on the Security Council, including permanent membership.
The ministers welcomed the reform model put forward by the African Group during the previous round of Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) and said they would continue to support Africa’s case.
G4 questions 18-year UNSC reform process
The four countries also voiced frustration with the slow pace of negotiations, saying the IGN process has failed to produce concrete progress despite 18 years of discussions.
They expressed particular concern over a “bridging proposal” put forward before text-based negotiations had even begun. The G4 said the proposal did not reflect the position of a clear majority of UN member states that favour expanding the Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories.
The ministers also stressed that consensus should not be treated as the benchmark for decision-making on Security Council reform, citing the UN Charter and the mandate of the IGN.
G4 seeks wider talks beyond UN reform framework
Going forward, the G4 said it would work with other groups pushing for reform to develop a consolidated model that reflects the views of a majority of UN member states.
The group said it would push to begin text-based negotiations as a priority and was open to discussing reform beyond the IGN framework, including through the UN General Assembly.
The four countries will continue coordinating during the 81st UNGA session, with officials asked to follow up on the discussions. The issue will next be reviewed at a Director General-level meeting in New Delhi.
