With a view on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms at an early date and to create a salubrious atmosphere for the claimants of a permanent seat in the UNSC, the foreign ministers of India, Germany, Brazil, and Japan have decided to extend mutual cooperation. All these four countries are claimants of a permanent seat in the UNSC in the event of its reforms. The problem, however, remains that major powers that have turned this international institution in their handmaiden continue to put off the reform process on one pretext or the other. It is in spite of that none of the major powers, including the United States, have denied the need for reforms in principle. It is, however, a different thing that no timetable has been yet fixed for these reforms.
The truth is that ever since its inception the United Nations has never initiated any measure in this connection nor has it brought about any change commensurate to the need of the hour and the changing international scenario. The world has weathered many a storm and revolution in the wake of the Second World War. Several powerful countries have fallen into the deep and dark schism politically. The place of the two parallel blocks, to the United States and Russia, has been taken over by the unipolar world and several countries have emerged on the horizon.
Economic Progress
The keeper of the world in this unipolar bloc, the United States, has become weak scientifically, technically, and economically. The failure of the US militarily adventurism in Iraq and Afghanistan coupled with its earlier failure in Vietnam and several multinational companies and banks in the United States having become bankrupt, makes it vividly clear that the time to come would not be of the United States and Europe, but of Asian countries -- China, Japan, and India -- and that of Brazil in the African comity of nations. Going by the economic progress made by these countries and their ever-increasing sphere of influence in world affairs, the need is being drastically felt that those nations that are non-permanent members of the Security Council should be taken into the council after effecting large-scale reforms in this international organization.
As for China, the country, that has the highest population in the world and which happen to be a fast emerging economic power, is already a permanent member of the Security Council. After the merger of the East and the West Germany, the claim of Germany for a permanent seat is fully justified. Yet, one wonders when the permanent seat for Germany can be considered while there are already two countries, France and the United Kingdom from Europe on the Security Council, why then the claim of Japan and India cannot be considered though China is the only Asian country on the Security Council as a permanent members. The claim of Japan and India is equally justified for the reasons that the two countries are on the list of major economies and prominent industrialized nations.
UN Reforms
India has the second largest population in the world and, at the same time it continues to fulfill the responsibilities of the regional leadership in one way or the other. Among African nations, Brazil occupies a place of pride. Anyway, the four claimants of the permanent UNSC seat have intensified their efforts to strengthen their claim and getting the long-pending UN reforms finalized as soon as possible. They have, therefore, decided to increase their pressure in the current session of the UN General Assembly so that some concrete outcome may be achieved.
The representatives of the four countries have met on two occasions in the last six months. They have issued a joint statement in which they have called upon the United Nations to increase the number of both permanent and non-permanent members for better transaction of business and improvement in the UN functioning. It is worth the mention that of these four countries, three, including India, are, at present non-permanent UNSC members. Under the circumstances, these countries have a better opportunity to press for their demand and suggest solid proposals for reforms. The decision made by these four nations to increase cooperation among themselves is a part of their efforts
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