The former President of the United Nations General Assembly Sam Kahamba Kutesa has weighed in on the issue of expansion of the UN Security Council, saying it was unstoppable.
Kutesa, whose one-year term ended on Monday, September 13, said that countries opposed to the expansion of the UNSC would become ‘more isolated’.
The UNSC is comprised of the United States of America (USA); Great Britain (UK); China, France and Russia, with all the five permanent members having veto powers.
China led the countries opposed to the reforms, which included among others Italy, Pakistan and Russia, caucusing under a loose alliance, the United for Consensus (UfC).
“The message from the UN membership is loud and clear and those who oppose the reforms will sooner than latter find themselves more isolated,” Kutesa was quoted as saying during the 69th General Assembly.
In July, just two months shy of his UNGA presidency coming to an end, Kutesa issued ‘a draft negotiating text’ to members, after 120 countries participated in a survey in which the majority was pro-reform.
‘So, powerful was the support for reform he rallied that those opposing the reforms dropped their open opposition, to the negotiating text and ensuring its unanimous adoption’ the UN states on its website.
Debate on UNSC reforms has been going on for over two decades, with countries like India, South Africa, Nigeria and Japan vouching for expansion.
Indeed recently when President Museveni visited Japan, he discussed the issue of the UNSC reforms with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and the latter pledged to lend support to the pro-reform cause.
