External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his counterparts from the G4 countries.
| Photo Credit: X/@DrSJaishankar

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has met his counterparts from the G4 countries, reaffirming the grouping’s commitment to urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council through text-based negotiations.

The G4 nations comprise Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan.

Mr. Jaishankar, who is in the U.S. on an official visit, on Monday (September 23, 2024) met his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa, the Foreign Minister of Germany Annalena Baerbock and Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“Glad to join the traditional #G4 Foreign Ministers Meeting along with colleagues @ABaerbock, @Kamikawa_Yoko and Mauro Vieira in New York today. G4 reaffirmed its commitment for an urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council through Text Based Negotiations,” Mr. Jaishankar said in a post on X.

The G4 nations support each other’s bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.

India has been at the forefront of years-long efforts calling for reform of the Security Council, saying the 15-nation Council, founded in 1945, is not fit for purpose in the 21st Century and does not reflect contemporary geopolitical realities. A polarised Security Council has also failed to deal with current peace and security challenges, with Council members sharply divided on conflicts such as the Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Mr. Jaishankar also held talks with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil on Monday about energy and economic cooperation, among other things.

“Pleased to meet FM @yvangil of Venezuela today on the sidelines of #UNGA79. Discussed energy, health and economic cooperation, as also reformed multilateralism,” Mr. Jaishankar said in a post on X.

A reform of the U.N. Security Council that does not address the lack of representation, particularly in the permanent category, would only “exacerbate” the current imbalances in its composition and render it “ill-equipped” to address current global challenges, India has said on behalf of the G4 countries.

“Recent global geopolitical events have clearly shown that the U.N. Security Council is unable to deliver on its primary responsibilities to safeguard international peace and security when the world needs it the most,” Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the U.N. Ambassador R. Ravindra said on Monday (August 12, 2024).

He was delivering a statement on behalf of the G4 countries – Brazil, Germany, Japan and India – at the UNSC High-Level Debate on ‘Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Addressing the Historical Injustice and enhancing Africa’s effective representation in the UNSC’.

The realities of 1945, when the Council was established, have long been superseded by current geopolitical realities, with the need for change being felt across the board, Mr. Ravindra said ahead of next month’s annual high-level U.N. General Assembly session which world leaders will attend.

He noted that for the G4, the primary reason for the underperformance of the critical U.N. Security Council remains the non-representation of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the under-representation of Asia Pacific in the permanent category.

“It is the G4’s firm belief, shared we believe by Africa and other groups, that any reform of the Council that does not address the lack of representation, particularly in the permanent category, would only exacerbate the current imbalances in the Council’s composition and render it ill-equipped to address Monday‘s (August 12, 2024) international challenges,” he said.

The 15-nation UNSC comprises five permanent, veto-wielding members – China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. – and 10 non-permanent members, without veto powers, who are elected for two-year terms.

Underlining that the G4 has “walked the talk” when it comes to correcting historical injustices done to Africa, Mr. Ravindra said the group’s model of UNSC reforms has clearly proposed that the Security Council membership increase from the current 15 to 25-26 by adding six permanent and four or five non-permanent members.

Among the six new permanent members, two each are proposed to be from African States and Asia Pacific states, one from Latin American and Caribbean states, and one from West European and Other States.

“On rights and privileges associated with permanent memberships, such as the veto, we also support the Common African Position that as long as it exists, it should be available to all permanent members, both new and old alike,” Mr. Ravindra said.

Mr. Ravindra said that the G4 is convinced that African representation in permanent and non-permanent categories will be an indispensable part of UNSC reform for a more representative and effective Council.

The group believes it is “inconceivable” that Africa, which constitutes over 70 per cent of the UNSC’s agenda items under discussion, does not get a permanent voice at the horse-shoe table.

“We as G4 continue to support fully these legitimate demands and aspirations from the people of Africa,” he said, adding that the group’s relationship with Africa is anchored in trust and mutual respect, and is focused on ensuring that Africa finds its “rightful” place in a new age of reformed multilateralism.

Making a few remarks in his national capacity and not on behalf of the G4, Mr. Ravindra said that references to the Common African Position and majority support to expansion in the permanent category should be added in the Pact for the Future as it befits endorsement by global leaders.

With world leaders convening in New York later next month for the annual high-level U.N. General Assembly session, they will also participate in the ambitious Summit of the Future convened by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The summit will produce an inter-governmentally negotiated, action-oriented ‘Pact for the Future’ with chapters on sustainable development and financing for development, international peace and security, among other things.

“The draft Pact under negotiation has the potential to promote a multilateral system that reflects the realities of Monday’s (August 12, 2024), and that delivers for everyone everywhere,” the U.N. has said.

Mr. Ravindra further stressed that text-based negotiations in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations on UNSC reform should be expedited. “Consensus is an output of negotiations… It is important that we do not keep delaying reforms, waiting for a consensus to emerge as consensus can only be arrived at through text-based negotiations,” he said, adding that for this, the 80th anniversary of the U.N. next year could be a befitting milestone.

“The other scenario is of status quo where reforms and representation are only elusive. That should not be our path,” he said.

India emphasised the need to push for reforms, heeding the voice of the young and future generations, including from Africa, where the demand to correct the historical injustices grows ever stronger.

“Otherwise, we simply risk sending the Council down the path of oblivion and irrelevance,” he said.

The G4 asserted that representation in key multilateral bodies is still not a reality for Africa and many other regions of the world, and it is “imminent on us to correct this historical injustice. Not only from a historical point of view but also from the perspective of future generations, this holds true.” Mr. Ravindra noted that Africa is a continent with the youngest demography, vast natural resources, expanding capabilities, growing markets, and rising ambitions.

The G4 cited the example of “much younger bodies” like the G20, which inducted the African Union as a full member during the New Delhi Summit held in September last year under India’s presidency of the grouping.

Bodies like the G20 “have shown themselves more willing to accommodate the legitimate needs and aspirations of the African people,” Mr. Ravindra said.

India has presented a detailed model on behalf of the G4 nations for Security Council reform that includes new permanent members elected democratically by the General Assembly and displays flexibility on the veto issue.

Participating in the Inter-governmental Negotiations on Security Council reform (IGN) on March 7, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said the UN’s 80th anniversary next year serves as a milestone to achieve concrete progress on the long-pending subject.

Ms. Kamboj presented the ‘G4 model’ on behalf of Brazil, Germany, Japan and India for debate, dialogue and finally negotiations. The proposals elicited strong support from wider UN members.

“The realities of 1945, when the Council was established, have long been superseded by the geo-political realities of the modern era and a new century; with the need for change being felt across the board,” Ms. Kamboj said as she shared the exhaustive G4 model with UN Member States in the General Assembly.

Catering to these new realities, the G4 model proposes that the Security Council’s membership increase from the current 15 to 25-26, by adding six permanent and four or five non-permanent members.

Among the six new permanent members, two each are proposed to be from African states and Asia Pacific states, one from Latin American and Caribbean states; and one from Western European and Other states.

The G4 model notes that the current composition of the Security Council, with its “glaring under-representation and un-representation” of key regions in both categories of membership, is “detrimental” to its legitimacy and effectiveness. It stressed that the Council’s inability to address critical conflicts and maintain international peace and security underscores the urgent need for reform.

“Any reform that does not address the lack of representation, particularly in the permanent category, would only exacerbate the current imbalances in the Council’s composition and render it ill-equipped to address today’s international challenges,” she said.

Ms. Kamboj highlighted that it is important to note that the G4 model “does not specify” which member states will occupy the new permanent seats. “This decision will be made by the General Assembly in a democratic and inclusive election.”

She told the UN membership that the world has undergone a sea change since 1945 and the new realities need to be reflected in the permanent membership. “Any proposal that does not address the issue of representation of the Global South, including Africa, Asia and Latin America, in the permanent category does a grave injustice to the aspirations of developing countries for equality.”

The G4 model offered flexibility on the veto, an issue that has been a contentious topic among member states as they try to move the needle forward on the reform process that has moved at a snail’s pace over the years.

“While the new permanent members would, as a principle, have the same responsibilities and obligations as current permanent members, they shall not exercise the veto until a decision on the matter has been taken during a review,” Ms. Kamboj said.

“Nonetheless, we should not allow the veto issue to have a “veto” over the process of Council reform itself. Our proposal is also a gesture of displaying flexibility on the issue for a constructive negotiation,” she said.

Currently, only the five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. — hold veto powers and through its use have stalled action in the Council to address global challenges and conflicts such as in Ukraine and Gaza.

The remaining 10 nations in the Council are elected to sit as non-permanent members for two-year terms and do not have veto powers.

Highlighting the urgency for reform, Ms. Kamboj said the world and the future generations can wait no longer. The ambitious Summit of the Future scheduled to be held at the UN this September and the 80th anniversary of the United Nations next year are “important milestones towards which we should aim to make concrete progress. We must push forward a reform heeding the voice of the young and future generations, including from Africa, where the demand to correct the historical injustices grows ever stronger. Otherwise, we simply risk sending the Council down the path of oblivion and irrelevance”.

France’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere said his country has long supported the candidacy of India, Japan, Brazil and Germany for permanent membership.

“In addition, France fully subscribes to the spirit of the model for comprehensive reform of the Security Council which has just been presented. It is in line with the strong expectations expressed by the vast majority of this Assembly,” he said, responding to the G4 model.

The U.S. said it is clear that the strong majority of UN member states, including all 54 African countries, support expanding both permanent and non-permanent seats on the Security Council.

“For the Security Council to best derive the benefits of both categories, it is important that both the permanent and non-permanent membership be representative of the world as it is today, not the world as it existed in the wake of the Second World War.”