RI's chances of getting UNSC seat remote: Alatas

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Indonesia -- the world's largest majority-Muslim country -- is not only one of the few moderate Muslim countries but also one of the biggest democracies in the world. However, its chances of winning a permanent seat on a reformed United Nations Security Council look remote, the country's former chief diplomat says.

Ali Alatas, a former minister of foreign affairs, said that the models proposed by the high-level UN panel determining who should be the new permanent members did not benefit Indonesia much.

"Seeing the proposed models, Indonesia would ideally get a seat through 'Model A' but we must also be realistic. There are also Japan and India looking for the two seats. So it will difficult (for Indonesia)," he told reporters after a seminar in Jakarta on Thursday.

He is referring to the two options -- Model A and Model B -- proposed by the high-level panel to the UN secretary-general to help the planned enlargement of the Council's membership.

Both Model A and B contain formulae for distributing permanent seats among four major regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Americas. Each region will get 6 new permanent seats with no veto being created

Model A, for example, provides that Asia Pacific's 56 UN members would get two new permanent seats in addition to China and three two-year seats.

Meanwhile, Model B provides for no new permanent seats but creates 2 four-year renewable seats and three two-year non- renewable seats for the Asia Pacific region.

"If the UN member countries approve Model B, Indonesia will also face difficulties winning a renewable seat. We cannot set aside India with its one billion population," he said.

The report,A more secured world: Our shared responsibility, was drafted by a 16-member panel led by former Thai prime minister Anand Panyarachun and submitted to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Dec. 2, 2004.

World leaders will decide whether or not to accept the panel report during a special summit in September at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Indonesia has joined the race along Japan, India, Germany, Brazil and South Africa to earn a place on the Security Council.

Alatas said that Indonesia's efforts to seek a seat on behalf of the moderate Muslim world would also face challenges from many parties.

He said that Indonesia had actively helped to resolve regional conflicts including those in Cambodia and the southern Philippines.

"These were our good achievements, but we also have had negative aspects like East Timor and the Asian Crisis," he said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, who opened the one-day seminar, earlier told the 59th UN General Assembly in New York that moderate Islam must be given a voice on the council, adding that Indonesia, as a democratic Muslim state, could be that voice.

The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Presently, the Council comprises five permanent members -- China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Ten other nations are elected as non-permanent members for a two-year term. Non-permanent members have no veto power.