Japan not giving up on UN

2005-09-18 11:13

New York - Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura called on the UN General Assembly on Saturday to support his country's bid for permanent membership on the UN Security Council.

"I believe that Japan's path of striving for international peace speaks for itself, and should serve as the basis for a larger role for Japan as a permanent member of a reformed Security Council," he said.

"I call on the member states to reach an early decision in this session of the General Assembly," he added.

A bid by Japan and its partners in the so-called G4 group - Brazil, Germany and India - to secure permanent council membership has stalled in the face of opposition from the United States and China and insufficient support from the 53-member African bloc.

Enlarging the 15-member Security Council requires a two-third majority support in the 191-member General Assembly.

Machimura said an overwhelming majority of member states - 166 countries - wanted Security Council reform.

The G4 countries have vowed to make a new attempt for permanent membership.

Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh said Thursday that their draft resolution - to boost the council's membership from its current 15 to 25, with six new permanent seats and four new non-permanent seats - could be reintroduced in the current General Assembly session with some changes.

- SAPA