After seeing UNSC at work, Guyana 'even more motivated to advocate' for reform

United Nations, June 3 (IANS) Having watched the Security Council at work from the inside, Guyana's Permanent Representative to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, has said her country is "even more motivated to advocate" for its reform.

Rodrigues-Birkett, who took over as the President of the Council for June, speaking in her national capacity said on Monday, that Guyana supports adding more permanent and non-permanent members to it.

"The Security Council is the only organ of the United Nations that is not representative of the membership of the United Nations, undemocratic as well," she said at a news conference.

Developing countries that make up a large proportion of the UN membership are not adequately represented on the Council, she added.

"Given that we've been on the Council for these last several months, we are even more motivated to advocate for Security Council reform," she said.

The leader of the Indian Parliamentary delegation that visited Guyana last week, Shashi Tharoor, said that India will formally ask for Guyana's support for a permanent seat.

Guyana advocates for the CARICOM model of reform that calls for expanding both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership, Rodrigues-Birkett said.

The 15-member CARICOM, which is a regional organisation of Caribbean countries, has proposed adding permanent and non-permanent members each from Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean; adding a permanent member from Western Europe, a non-permanent member from Eastern Europe, with a non-permanent seat reserved for a small island developing state.

That format would allow for India to lay claim to a permanent seat.

The Caricom backs the African Union's demand for two permanent and two non-permanent seats for the continent, Rodrigues-Birkett said.

She added that Guyana wants to abolish the veto rights of permanent members, which often brings the Council to a standstill.

But if it is retained, the new permanent members should also have that right, she said.

The South American country of Guyana took control of the rotational presidency of the UN Security Council from Greece on Monday for the month of June.

Rodrigues-Birkett said at the news conference that the focus will be on the protection of children in armed conflict, conflict prevention as well as peace and security.

She added that the "signature event" is to be held June 19 and "will take the form of a high-level open debate on poverty, underdevelopment and conflict: implications for the maintenance of international peace and security".

--IANS

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