Finland supports German and Japanese model for UN reform
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Finland has given its support to the expansion of the United Nations Security Council in the manner proposed by Germany, Japan, Brazil, and India. Under the model, the council would get six new permanent members which would not have a right to veto decisions in the way that the present five permanent members do.
In the model supported by Finland, the new permanent members would include the four sponsors of the initiative, as well as two African countries. Competing for the African seats are Egypt, South Africa, and Nigeria.
Finland’s new UN Ambassador Kirsti Lintonen said in Helsinki on Monday that Finland has taken a stand only on behalf of Germany and Japan. She says that the African countries must decide on their own which two countries would represent them.
Lintonen explained that the change can be approved at the UN by a two-thirds majority, and that it would soon be seen if the qualified majority is attainable.
China and the United States have dropped their demand for absolute consensus on the matter. However, a group of countries led by Italy and Pakistan are demanding that all 191 member states should be in agreement on the reform of the Security Council. Italy and Pakistan do not want any more permanent members on the Security Council.
Other reforms proposed by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan are to be decided at the UN summit in New York on September 14th.
The Finnish UN Ambassador says that the most difficult aspects of the move include the expansion of the Security Council, the establishment of a Council on Human Rights to replace the Human Rights Committee, a UN mandate to protect people, and the goal of spending 0.7% of GDP on development cooperation.
Finland has been promising to raise its spending on development cooperation to the 0.7% level by 2010. Lintonen notes that it would be difficult for Finland to get a rotating post on the Security Council if the development aid goal is not attained.
The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs initially had reservations about the prospect of setting up a Human Rights Council, but now it supports the idea openly.
The council would be a narrower body than the present Human Rights Committee, but it would operate year-round, whereas the committee meets for just six weeks a year.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 17.5.2005 - TODAY |
 Finland supports German and Japanese model for UN reform
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