This is a laugh! The minnows want to be permanent members of the UN  Security Council… So Kofi can't make the US/UK do as he wants… simple… elect more tame poodles to the Security Council to do his bidding…including Germany, NO WAY!

"Four nations launch UN seat bid

The four countries have pledged to back each other

Brazil, Germany, Japan and India have launched a joint bid for permanent seats on the UN Security Council.

"The Security Council must reflect the realities of the international community in the 21st Century," their joint statement said.

The four states pledged to back each other's case and said similar status should be given to an African nation.

The Council's five veto-wielding permanent members are Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

The 10 other Council members are chosen for two-year terms by regional groups.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is known to favour an expansion of the Council, to enable it to command greater respect - especially in the developing world - and to make it more effective.

'Representative' Council

The joint statement was issued after talks between Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York.

The statement noted that there has been a nearly four-fold increase in the UN membership since it was founded after World War II in 1945, including a sharp increase in the number of developing countries.

"The Security Council, therefore, must be expanded in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, including developing and developed countries as new permanent members," the joint statement said.

"It must be representative, legitimate and effective."

In a speech to the UN General Assembly, the Brazilian leader, known as Lula, said the Council's composition must reflect today's reality, rather than perpetuate the post-WWII era.

In another speech, Mr Koizumi said Japan's reconstruction role in Iraq and Afghanistan, and its efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, entitled it to a permanent seat on the Council.

'Natural candidates'

Japan pays more money into the UN coffers than any nation except the US. Germany is the third-biggest contributor.

Supporters of India's membership point out that the country is the world-largest democracy where some 1.2 billion people live, while some of Brazil's backers say it can make a strong case to represent South America.

"All four states regard themselves as natural candidates," Mr Fischer said after the talks.

The joint statement also said Africa must also have a permanent seat, amid reports that African leaders are currently discussing which of their states should be put forward.

However, historic regional animosities are likely to complicate the joint bid, analysts say.


news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3678736.stm

"It must be representative, legitimate and effective."

I hate to be the one to break it to them, but if the above is their goal, they have already miserably failed in that regard, long ago.

Quoted: "It must be representative, legitimate and effective." I hate to be the one to break it to them, but if the above is their goal, they have already miserably failed in that regard, long ago.

I think he means "non-representative, Illegitimate and anti US/UK policies'

ANdy

Can you say League of Nations??

SGtar15

I know how we can get one of them into the security council right away.  They can have our seat as we vacate the U.N.

I think a good location for the new U.N. would be Albania.  Yeah...that's it, that's the ticket.

Brazil, Germany, Japan and India are minnows?  WTF?  India has a population of over 1 Billion.  Japan is an economic powerhouse, and Brazil and Germany are both major players as well.

Quoted: Brazil, Germany, Japan and India are minnows?  WTF?  India has a population of over 1 Billion.  Japan is an economic powerhouse, and Brazil and Germany are both major players as well.

WTF indeed… if Japan, Germany, Brasil or India said boo! we would just say "Fuck off"… they are not major players on the World Political Stage…


Andy

The UN may have started as a Good Idea way back when.

As it stands now it's just a stage where turd-world nations, those run by dictators, socialists and communists can gain some sort of "legitimacy", where they think that they are now equals among more powerful nations (and have their hands out for whatever "aid" they can get).

The UN is a purely Socialist construct where a total shit-hole country run by a corrupt government thinks it is the moral and social equivalent of any other because they have a seat at the UN.

The UN isn't about rasing the level of all nations, it's about the smaller ones cutting the bigger ones down to size.

Sorry, that shit don't fly with me.

The only one I'd consider letting on is Japan, and then only if we can kick France off.  Imagine how offended the Frogs would be if they were kicked off the UN Sec Council.

Pakistan will also be really ticked if we let India in.

GunLvr

I would have said Germany in the past, but not anymore.
Japan would work in our favor though. They need us bigtime with China getting itchy.