About G4

• The G4 nations comprise Brazil, Germany, India and Japan which support each other’s bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.
• The group was founded in 2005 so that their voice could be heard by the United Nations for the permanent seat.

Why in News?

• The foreign ministers of G4 countries have underlined the urgency of reforming the United Nations Security Council in order to make it more legitimate, effective and representative. 
• The ministers issued a joint statement following the meeting in which they reaffirmed that it is indispensable to reform the Security Council through an expansion of both categories, permanent and non-permanent seats, to enable the Security Council to better deal with the ever-complex and evolving challenges to the maintenance of international peace and security, and thereby to carry out its duties more effectively.
• The G4 Ministers reiterated their support for each other’s candidatures as aspiring new permanent members in a reformed Security Council.

India’s quest for permanent seat in UNSC

• For decades, India has sought a comprehensive reform of the UNSC and permanent membership at the Council along with Germany, Japan and Brazil.
• In recent years, New Delhi has made the theme of “reformed multilateralism” central to its diplomacy—calling the UN structure that came into existence in the immediate aftermath of World War 2 “anachronistic” and in need of urgent change. 
• The arguments put forward by India centered on four aspects for making the Council more representative: Expansion of Membership, Veto power, Regional Representation & Relationship Between Security Council and General Assembly.

Expansion of Membership

• In India’s eyes, no reform of the UN is complete without the composition of the Security Council changing to reflect contemporary realities of the twenty-first century. 
• This requires expansion in the membership of the Security Council in both the permanent and non – permanent categories.
• India has also highlighted the need of Africa to be represented in both categories. 

Veto power

• • On the question of veto, Indian position is fully aligned with G4, L.69 and Africa who have called for the abolition of veto.

• L.69 is a group of developing countries from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. They form a major bloc that is united by the common cause of achieving the lasting and comprehensive reform of the UNSC.

Regional Representation

• On the question of regional representation, India has argued for an equitable geographical representation and the urgent need for mitigating the non-representation and under-representation of some regions in both the permanent and the non-permanent categories. 
• The UN has three of the five permanent members from one region alone while the regions of Africa, Latin America, three-fourths of Asia including the Arab states, the entire Central and Eastern Europe, the Caribbean states and the Small Island developing states remain excluded from the functioning of the Security Council.
• The Security Council, for India, needs to reflect contemporary realities and provide adequate representation to all regions of the world. 

Relationship Between Security Council and General Assembly

• On the issue of the relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly, in India’s view, it should not be competitive or adversarial, but “one of synergy and complementarity” which benefits the UN objectives of the promotion of international peace and security. 
• A relationship with the General Assembly based on transparency, mutual trust and frequent interaction with all Member States will increase the credibility of the Council that includes increase in dialogue between the Council and the Assembly. 
• India thus has called for a greater transparency and consistency to improve the relationship between the two. 

What is the issue?

• While the US, France, Britain and Russia are not averse to India joining the UNSC as a permanent member, China has been opposed to it. 
• There is also reportedly no unanimity among the permanent veto-wielding five – US, UK, France, Russia and China – to share its veto powers with any new members for fears of diluting the influence and authority they currently wield.
• An informal “coffee club”, comprising 40-odd member states (including Italy, Spain, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Argentina and Pakistan) has been instrumental in holding back reforms to the UNSC. Most members of the club are middle-sized states who oppose bigger regional powers grabbing permanent seats in the UN Security Council.

Reference:

1. https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=G4-countries-emphasize-need-to-reform-UNSC-to-make-it-more-legitimate%2c-effective-%26-representative&id=426661