Italy, Pak-led Coffee Club opposes new permanent members on UNSC

New York, Sep 21 (UNI) President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and Prime Minister Romano Prodi of Italy have stated that their countries, which lead a UN group called ''United for Consensus,'' are against inclusion of new permanent members on the 15-member Security Council.

Both addressed a news conference last night after a dinner meeting at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. The meeting was intended to chalk out a new strategy to oppose attempts by the Group of Four, comprising India, Japan, Germany and Brazil, seeking permanent membership on the powerful council.

''We are against creating new centers of power,'' Gen Musharraf told a questioner, adding such a proposal flouted the maxim of sovereign equality.

However, both countries, whose group is also known as ''Coffee Club,'' and almost all other members of the General Assembly are keen on restructuring the Security Council soon. But differences persist on how to achieve it.

President Musharraf said earlier, ''We believe that today when the council's role is central to the maintenance of international peace and security, it's incumbent upon member states to make a serious and sincere endeavor to achieve an early agreement on this vital issue. Italy, Pakistan and other like-minded countries are convinced that the reform of the Security Council, to be effective and implementable, will have to be achieved by the widest possible agreement.'' Prime Minister Prodi was optimistic that a compromise formula could be evolved by the end of the current General Assembly session.

The interaction with the press by both the leaders was delayed for more than two hours.

The United States, Britain, France, Russia and China are permanent member of the Security Council. The other 10 are non-permanent rotating members, elected every two years based on regional representation.

The reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, has been hanging fire for the past decade and a half. A panel, which has submitted its report in late 2004, sought to add more permanent members or rotating members which can have four-year membership.

The General Assembly has to approve with a two-thirds majority, one of these two or any other proposal. A consensus has so far eluded the world body on this issue.

UNI XC PR RS1848