Panel set up to discuss UN reform

Panel set up to discuss UN reform

Rendi W. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has set up a special panel to
determine Indonesia's position on the planned enlargement of the
United Nation Security Council (UNSC), former foreign minister
Ali Alatas announced on Thursday.

Alatas, a special envoy for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan,
said the panel would decide whether Indonesia would choose the
"Model A" or "Model B" proposal for the enlargement of UNSC
seats, or formulate another option.

Alatas made the statement after meeting with Susilo to report
on his new job as Annan's special envoy.

He said the 45-member panel held its first meeting on Thursday
night at the presidential office, which was chaired by President
Susilo.

The panel includes senior diplomats, international observers
and non-governmental organization workers, such as HS Dillon,
Todung Mulya Lubis and Felia Salim.

Model A and B proposals involve the distribution of seats
between four major regions of Africa, the Asia Pacific, Europe
and America, in which each region gets six new permanent seats.

Under Model A, the Asia-Pacific region with its 56 UN members
would get two new permanent seats in addition to China, plus
three seats would be rotated every two years.

Model B proposes no new permanent seats but creates a new
category of eight four-year renewable seats and one new two-year
nonpermanent (and nonrenewable) seat, divided among Africa, Asia
and the Pacific, Europe and the Americas.