Pretoria - The Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) think tank council believes UN Security Council (UNSC) reforms are on the way after influential members of the world governing body have endorsed the reform agenda.
Former head of the Brics think tank council Olive Shisana said yesterday the decisions taken at last week’s Brics summit in Russia supported the need for political reform of the UN.
She said the emergence of Brics in the past seven years was a momentous occasion. “This is a historic moment because unlike other multilaterals, Brics is moving ahead to create a new architecture.”
The bloc adopted five pillars that would take the organisation forward. She said Brics leaders had adopted some of the recommendations of the think tank council.
The leaders were not only concerned about the issue of co-operation for economic growth and peace and security, but also about education and sustainable development in improving the quality of life, said Shisana, who is the head of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).
“This is a step forward because we are going beyond economic issues and looking at quality of life,” she said.
The powerful group remained committed to the rule of international law and use of the UN to discuss global issues, she said.
The reform of the UN Security Council was endorsed by its permanent members, Russia and China.
They want a more representative UN, particularly its security council, she said. Both countries called for the participation of South Africa, Brazil and others in the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council has been dominated by five permanent members in the past 70 years of its existence.
The Brics bloc did not only want reform of the UN, but also that of the G20 and the World Trade Organisation, said Shisana.
The HSRC’s deputy executive director for democracy, governance and service delivery Narnia Bohler-Muller said reform of the UN Security Council has been raised for years. She said the AU has asked for two dominant members in the continent to be included in the UNSC.
The other reform is that a veto be a non-factor in discussions and decision-making because it was undemocratic. However, discussions on the UN Security Council reforms have been going for years.
Nelson Mandela was the first to raise it when he assumed office in 1994, and during his visit to the UN in 1995 as head of state.
The UN Security Council is often bogged down by divisions between China and Russia on the one hand and Western powers on the other on geopolitical issues. However, South Africa has called for its inclusion in this structure as it seeks to be party to key decision-making processes.
Political Bureau
Pretoria News