UNITED NATIONS: Countering India’s bid for United Nations Security Council (UNSC) permanent seat without naming the country, Pakistan has opposed the creation of new permanent seats in UNSC terming it a violation of UN charter and contrary to the universally agreed principles of democracy, accountability and transparency.
In a General Assembly on Security Council reform debate regarding equitable representation on the Security Council, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Maleeha Lodhi said, ‘Rigidity and blind pursuit of national ambition is the real reason for our persisting failure to achieve a more democratic, accountable, transparent and effective Security Council.’
She said Pakistan’s goal is the democratization of the Council through a reform that promotes the interests and aspirations of all UN members.
The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, also known as the Permanent Five, Big Five, or P5, include the following five governments: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
These members represent the five great powers considered the victors of World War II. Each of the permanent members has the power to veto, enabling them to prevent the adoption of any ‘substantive’ draft Council resolution, regardless of the level of international support for the draft.
