By Arun Kumar
United Nations, Oct 13 (IANS) India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) have vowed to accord highest priority to promoting the objectives of the poor nations in the UN Security Council and making its working more transparent.
In a statement issued after India and South Africa's election Tuesday as non-permanent members of the council, Permanent Representatives of the three reiterated a call to urgently expand the Security Council to make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent.
India's Hardeep Singh Puri, Brazil's Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti and South Africa's Baso Sangqu described it as a "historic occasion in 2011 in which all three IBSA countries will serve in the UN Security Council."
India and South Africa begin a two-year term in January 2011, while Brazil began a similar term this year.
The representatives noted that as countries from "the global South, India, Brazil and South Africa will, as a highest priority, promote the principles and objectives of the South on the UN Security Council including to work to make the Security Council more transparent in its working methods."
They reiterated the statement issued by IBSA ministers Sep 25 during the UN General Assembly debate reaffirmig their commitment to multilateralism and to increased participation of developing countries in the decision-making bodies of multilateral organisations and institutions.
IBSA then reiterated the urgent need for the UN to be reformed so as to become more representative and reflective of the needs and priorities of developing countries, specifically the UN Security Council.
The envoys reiterated the call of the IBSA Ministers for the urgent need to expand the Security Council in both its permanent and non-permanent categories, in order to increase participation of developing countries.
"This will make the UNSC more broadly representative, efficient and transparent and would also enhance its effectiveness and legitimacy, as well as the implementation of its decisions," they said.
The envoys again stressed their firm commitment to collaborate in the Security Council with the aim of making the Council more responsive and transparent in the execution of its mandate.
Committing to enhance cooperation in the Security Council on all priority agenda items, they said: "One such priority area will be to promote and enhance the Security Council's cooperation with regional organizations, particularly the African Union's Peace and Security Council."