At UNGA, Portuguese PM calls for India's inclusion in security council
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has called for UNSC reform that should include representation of India at the UN Security Council
PremiumCalling for the expansion of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has demanded the inclusion of India, Brazil, and Africa continent at the UNSC. During his address at the UNGA, Antonio Costa emphasised fair representation of small countries and advocated the expansion of the UNSC.
"We need a representative, agile and functional security council that can respond to the challenges of the 21st century without being paralyzed and whose actions are scrutinised by the other members of the United Nations," he said.
Also Read: Joe Biden slams Russia at UNSC for ‘shameless violation’ with 'brutal, needless war'
"A security council that incorporates a comprehensive view of security. A security council where the African Continent, Brazil, and India have seats. And where small countries are fairly represented," he added.
Also Read: Ahead of UNGA, S Jaishankar meets UAE Foreign Minister to review bilateral ties
The Portuguese prime minister expressed that several children and adults globally didn't even know what it means to live in peace. He also criticised the Russian invasion of Ukraine which he called a “flagrant violation" of international laws and primarily of the UN charter.
He not only condemned Russian aggression but also supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
He also praised the UN's efforts to de-escalate the situation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was applauded for his role in mitigating damaging effects of the Russia-Ukraine crisis like the food crisis.
G4 expresses concern over the lack of fruitful progress on the Security Reform Council
Notably, Antonio Costa's remark came immediately after the Group of Four (G4) foreign ministers collectively slammed the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council (SC) reform. G4 is a group of four nations including Germany, India, Brazil, and Japan who support each other's position as permanent members at the UNSC.
On Thursday, the foreign ministers of G4 countries, Carlos Alberto Franco Franca, Foreign Minister of Brazil, Annalena Baerbock, Federal Foreign Minister of Germany, S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, and Yoshimasa Hayashi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, met in the sidelines of 77th UNGA.
In a joint press release, the grouping expressed urgent reforms in the UN and also a change in its decision-making bodies. The press release stated that the increasing complexity and interconnected global challenges must be addressed by the UN urgently.
However, the body is unable to deal with these issues effectively. That's why it needs urgent reforms so that bodies like UNSC can better reflect contemporary geopolitical realities and also implement its decisions effectively.
The ministers agreed that the inter-governmental organisation needs more representation and participation from developing countries. The also agreed upon the need for major contributors to the United Nations to enhance the capacity of the Council to deal with evolving challenges the world faces today effectively.
(With inputs from ANI)
"Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels 🚀 Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here!
