Japan urges UN Security Council reform, expansion of permanent membership
Tokyo, Sep 22 (efe-epa).- Japan’s foreign minister called for reform of the United Nations Security Council Tuesday and expressed his country’s desire to become a permanent member of the international organization.
In a video message published on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the UN, Toshimitsu Motegi called for expanding the number of permanent members of the UNSC for it to be “revived as an effective and representative organ” that reflects the present and post-COVID realities of the international community.
“The reform of the UN development system is critical to make sure that the most vulnerable will not be left behind,” he said.
The body is currently composed of 15 members – five permanent (United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France; a reflection of power at the time the UN was created after the end of World War II in which they were allies) and 10 non-permanent members.
Japan has held one of the 10 rotating positions 11 times since it joined the UN in 1956.
UNSC member states “cannot be complacent with the status quo,” said Motegi in his message in English, in which he assured that “Japan is fully prepared to fulfill such responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council and contribute to ensuring peace and stability of the world.”
“Crises we have to cope with, through multilateralism, are expanding in diversity and scale,” said the head of Japanese diplomacy, who gave the COVID-19 pandemic as an example.
“The crucial role of the UN to unite the international community has never been more necessary,” Motegi added, and expressed his opinion that the members “having the capacity and willingness to take on major responsibilities should hold seats on an expanded Security Council.”
He called on member states to launch “text-based negotiations.”
Motegi spoke a day before he and his counterparts from India, Germany and Brazil hold an online meeting in which they are expected to address the requested reform of the UNSC, which the four countries aspire to become new permanent members of. EFE-EPA
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