Australia moots UNSC shakeup adding RI<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Sydney, Australia\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Australian Prime Minister John Howard will put to the United
\nNations next week a plan to shake up the United Nations Security
\nCouncil (UNSC) with a permanent seat for the world's largest
\nIslamic nation, Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Under the plan, revealed by Howard in an interview with The
\nBulletin magazine, the council would be restructured as a three-
\ntiered body replacing the existing two-tiered arrangement which
\nhas five permanent members and 10 two-year rotational seats.<\/p>\n
Howard leaves on Friday for the United States where he will
\nmeet U.S. President George W. Bush at his Texas ranch before
\nflying on to New York for talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi
\nAnnan.<\/p>\n
The United States, Britain, France, Russia and China would
\nretain their permanent membership and veto rights, under his
\nplan, but another tier of five permanent non-veto seats would be
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The final five places would continue to be elected and rotated
\nevery year or two.<\/p>\n
The five new permanent members he proposes, Japan, India,
\nBrazil, Germany and Indonesia, would give representation to
\nIslamic nations and Latin America as well as the economic
\npowerhouses of Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n
Howard believes his plan would reshape the Council to better
\nreflect today's geopolitical landscape, giving voice to a greater
\ncross-section of international and cultural interests and
\nconcerns.<\/p>\n
An enthusiastic member of the U.S.-led "coalition of the
\nwilling" in Iraq, Howard also said the United Nations had been
\nweakened through its failure to take a strong stance on Iraq.<\/p>\n
"I think the UN has been weakened, as I thought it would be,
\nbut I don't think it's terminal," he told the magazine. "There
\nmay be a greater momentum toward some kind of reform of the
\nSecurity Council.<\/p>\n
"I see merit in a Security Council that has three layers, the
\nfive permanent veto members -- none of them are going to give it
\nup -- with five permanent non-veto members, then five that keep
\nchanging every year.<\/p>\n
"The five permanent non-veto members would be, say, Japan,
\nIndia, Brazil, Germany and Indonesia, an Islamic country."<\/p>\n
He said he intended to pursue it and would discuss it with
\nForeign Minister Alexander Downer.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Indonesia's foreign ministry was non-committal on
\nWednesday about Australia's proposal for the world's most-
\npopulous Muslim country to be a permanent member of the United
\nNations Security Council.<\/p>\n
"We believe the proposal is based on Australia's objective
\nview of Indonesia," foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"Let them make their judgement. We have all along, since 1992,
\nemphasized the need for reform of the UN Security Council in
\nterms of both its membership and performance," Marty told AFP.<\/p>\n
The spokesman noted that Indonesia, whose population of 212
\nmillion is the world's fourth largest, has been active in
\ninternational peacekeeping missions and is a democracy.<\/p>\n
The need for reform has been strengthened by the war in Iraq,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
"We are of the view that the legitimacy of the Security
\nCouncil will be strengthened if its membership is more
\nrepresentative," he said.<\/p>",
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