India, Germany to step up pressure for permanent UNSC seat

India and Germany have discussed ways to take forward the long-overdue expansion of the UN Security Council at a meeting of their top leaders here this week.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who accompanied Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Germany, has said that Security Council reform was naturally one of the focus areas of discussions at the inter-governmental consultations.
He said that India will continue to collaborate with Germany and intensify the pressure for UNSC reform.
Inter-governmental consultations between India and Germany took place here on Thursday co-chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Germany and India recalled their cooperation in the UN Security Council during 2011-12 and agreed to continue to collaborate in strengthening and reform of the United Nations and the multilateral system.

In this context, they reaffirmed their commitment to continue their efforts through the G-4 to reform the Security Council by expansion of both categories of its membership, and underlined their support for each other's candidature for permanent membership of an expanded Security Council.

Khurshid reiterated that India and Germany will continue to press for the UNSC reforms through the G4, comprising Brazil and Japan, besides India and Germany.
The G-4 proposal focuses on two aspects of Security Council reform, which are expansion in membership in both categories, permanent and non-permanent, and that the working methods of the 15-member Council should be improved.

Calling for a change at the UNSC, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that the current system does not reflect today's global realities.
He said heavyweights like India, Germany, Brazil and Japan cannot be kept out of the UNSC, the most powerful decision-making body in the UN system.
The US, China, Russia, Britain and France are the five permanent members of the Security Council enjoying veto power.