India along with other G-4 countries has called for reflecting the convergences that have emerged so far on issues, including veto, in the intergovernmental parleys on Security Council reform.
In a statement on behalf of the G4 countries, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said that a large number of member-states including the G4 called for incorporation of elements of convergence achieved so far on all five key issues including the question of veto, categories of membership and regional representation in a consolidated and streamlined text.
Other G-4 nations are Brazil,Germany and Japan.
"The G-4 would like to reiterate its call for reflecting the convergences that have emerged so far and also to include in the elements paper the divergent positions in the other three key areas," Akbaruddin said at the Informal Meeting of the General Assembly on the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform here yesterday.
He said the elements paper could complement the framework document and its annex in forming a concrete basis for text based negotiations in the next session of the IGN.
The G-4 has also called for submission of proposals and positions to the framework document and its annex circulated by the letter of President of the 69th session of the General Assembly dated July 2015 by those Groups/Member- States who have not yet submitted their proposals.
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"We would like to encourage them again to do so and make positive contributions to the process. Our Group remains open to discuss all options," he said.
During the last informal IGN meeting in May, Akbaruddin on behalf of the G4 had decrying the "out of date" structure of the UN Security Council, saying the problem of "imbalance of influence" in the Council cannot be corrected if only non-permanent members are added to the powerful UN body as part of its reform and expansion in both categories is essential to achieve equilibrium that reflects current global realities.
The G-4 had called for a consolidated and shortened negotiating text reflecting the convergences and delineated divergent positions that had emerged so far.
On the key issue of regional representation, the G-4 had said it is "untenable" that entire continents such as Africa are not represented or underrepresented in the permanent category of the Security Council.
Outlining the G-4's position on the issue of categories of membership, Akbaruddin had said in the May meeting that it is evident from the positions submitted in the text circulated by former UNGA President in July 2015 that an overwhelming majority of member states support expansion in both categories.
In all, 129 member states out of a total 152 or about around 85 per cent support expansion in both categories.
He had urged the IGN chair to consolidate the names of those in favour of the expansion as well as those proposing additions of 5-6 countries in the permanent category.