Indonesia asserts the need for UNSC enlargement

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas at the United Nations asserted that the enlargement of the Security Council's membership must be based on geographic, political and demographic factors.

"While the principle of geographic representation is important, it should not be the only criterion to determine eligibility for new permanent members," he said in his address before the 49th session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

Indonesia, along with a host of other nations, has argued for expanding not just the permanent membership but also the UN Security Council (UNSC) as a whole.

"Other objective criteria are equally important such as political, economic and demographic realities and a country's capability and record of contributing to the promotion of peace, security and economic development," he said as quoted by AFP.

Alatas, who was once Indonesia's permanent representative to the UN, also expressed concern about possible delays in the execution of the latest round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

"We must confess to being concerned with the possibility of a tardy and long drawn-out process of implementing the Final Act of the Uruguay Round," he said alluding to reports on the diffident attitude the U.S., European Union (EU) and Japan have in ratifying the GATT.

He continued by eschewing the inclusion of so-called "social clauses" into the new Agreement, regarding such views as protectionism "in a thin disguise."

Alatas said a lag in GATT's implementation and the insertion of social clauses would have a dire impact and negate much of the agreement's original intent.

In Luxembourg, European Trade Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan forecasted on Tuesday that both the EU and the U.S. would ratify the GATT Uruguay Round trade accord this year.

Brittan said he had also spoken with U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor, hinting that it was clear that the United States would do the same.

UNSC

Elaborating further on the expansion of the UNSC, Alatas was diplomatic in his approach to the issue of the exclusive inclusion of Japan and Germany as permanent members.

The UNSC is made of 15 members of which five -- Britain, United States, China, Russia and France -- hold permanent status and veto powers. The remaining membership is selected for two- year terms by the General Assembly.

The demise of the former Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War has brought on fervent talk concerning the expansion of the UNSC to better represent the various interests of developing countries.

The permanent members themselves have shown interest in adding Japan and Germany to this select group, but without the luxury of veto power.

"We support the expansion of the United Nations Security Council's permanent membership as long as it is done in a package which includes representatives from the developing countries," Alatas was quoted as saying by Antara.

Despite Alatas' diplomatic answer, Indonesia as chairman of the 111-nation Non Aligned Movement (NAM) has strongly campaigned against the exclusivity of developed countries in the UNSC.

Earlier this year Indonesia's deputy representative to the UN, Witjaksana Soegarda, was quite vocal concerning Japan and Germany's membership.

At the time Soegarda said NAM was particularly concerned by the tendency for a few states to dominate the UNSC. "The institution could become an institution for the imposition of the will of the strong upon the weak," he said.

Apart from Japan and Germany, Brazil and India have also made strong arguments for their inclusion as permanent members.

Indonesia itself seems to be a prime candidate to fill one of the non-permanent seats to be vacated by Djibouti, Brazil, Spain and Pakistan at the end of the year.

Such is Indonesia's confidence at securing a seat in the Oct. 20 election that Alatas did not mention the candidacy at all in his speech.

He said that the matter did not need to be brought up since being the sole Asian candidate, the countries in the region have already shown their support.

Besides, as chair of NAM, Indonesia has a strong caucus upon which it can rely.

Last week Alatas signed an economic, science and technical cooperation agreement with the Nicaraguan foreign minister Ernesto Sanchez.

The agreement was based on the close relations existing between the two countries and the realization of the mutual benefits of such cooperation schemes.(mds)