Second-rank permanent membership without a veto doesn't go far enough, so last year's SC reform attempt died a deserved death.
In contrast, Ahmadinejad proposed the NAM, etc. have "a representative as a permanent member of the Security Council, with veto privilege":
<blockquote>Today, serious reform in the structure and working methods of the Security Council is, more than ever before, necessary. Justice and democracy dictate that the role of the General Assembly, as the highest organ of the United Nations, must be respected. The General Assembly can then, through appropriate mechanisms, take on the task of reforming the organization and particularly rescue the Security Council from its current state. In the interim, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and the African continent should each have a representative as a permanent member of the Security Council, with veto privilege. The resulting balance would hopefully prevent further trampling of the rights of nations. <http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/ahmadinejad200906.html></blockquote>
There is a great deal of difference between Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba taking the ideological leadership of the world outside the West and Brazil, India, and South Africa taking it. The question is whether the latter can be induced to follow the former or the latter will check the former and assist Washington.
Chavez got a lot of laughter and applause at the UN GA. But will Venezuela get enough votes to gain a seat at the UN SC?
<blockquote>So while there was official outrage over Mr. Chávez calling Mr. Bush "the devil," there was also a lot of applause and giggling, from dignitaries including the president of the General Assembly herself, Haya Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain, who was caught chuckling from her seat on the dais behind Mr. Chávez.
"Most unseemly," one United Nations official said with mock seriousness, then started laughing himself.
Officially, most diplomats here were quick to frown on the Venezuelan leader's remarks. But in quieter moments officials and diplomats said they feared that he was reaching a receptive audience of poor countries that felt exploited and bullied by the United States.
The Nonaligned Movement emerged during the cold war among countries that were trying to escape the orbits of the Soviet Union and the United States. But rather than build on that, Mr. Chávez and Mr. Ahmadinejad seem to be going in another direction: to build a coalition of countries aligned against Washington.
Some of that was on display last week in Havana at a meeting of leaders and diplomats from 118 countries in the Nonaligned Movement. The Times of London joked: "America might well call it the Axis of Evil summit."
The host of the Havana meeting was Mr. Castro — who was too sick to attend the actual meetings — and among those attending were Mr. Ahmadinejad, Mr. Chávez and officials from North Korea, Belarus and Syria. Raúl Castro, who took over from his brother as acting president of the movement, criticized what he called Washington's "irrational pretensions for world dominance."
The question now, though, is whether the Castros, Chávezes and Ahmadinejads of the world will succeed in wooing more countries to their camp. United Nations officials said member countries were becoming increasingly frustrated that the five permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — call all the shots, a point that Mr. Chávez and Mr. Ahmadinejad made repeatedly.
A movement to increase the number of permanent seats on the Council seemed to have died last year amid wrangling over who supported whom, but officials say the issue may now be resurrected. "It's very interesting that after everyone declared Security Council reform over, it's one of the top issues raised by heads of state this year," a senior United Nations official said.
A secret ballot next month to fill the 10 nonpermanent seats on the Council may provide an early indicator of the influence of the anti-American bloc. Five seats are up for change every year, and Venezuela is in a battle with Guatemala for the Latin American one. Needless to say, the United States is backing Guatemala.
Venezuela has received the backing of Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and several other countries, while Guatemala can count on the United States, Mexico and Colombia, among others. If the Latin American countries cannot reach a consensus — and they have not yet — the General Assembly will hold a secret ballot among its 192 members.
A win by Mr. Chávez, United Nations officials said, would not only mean livelier debate in the Security Council. It might also signal potential trouble for many Americansponsored issues before the Council, from putting a peacekeeping force into Darfur to efforts to reining in Iran's nuclear ambitions. (Helene Cooper, "Voices of Discontent: Anti-U.S. Leaders Seek Allies,: 23 September 2006, <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/23/world/23diplo.html>)</blockquote>
On 9/23/06, Chris Doss <lookoverhere1 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> --- Yoshie Furuhashi <critical.montages at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Would Moscow support the UN SC expansion?
>
> The answer is yes:
<snip>
> Russia Backs Venezuela for Security Council Seat
>
> Saturday, Jul 29, 2006
>
> By: Steven Mather - Venezuelanalysis.com
>
> Caracas , Venezuela, Julio 29, 2006—Russia's President
> Putin presented his Venezuelan counterpart with a
> departing gift yesterday, as he gave his public
> backing to President Chavez's campaign for a seat for
> Venezuela on the United Nations Security Council.
>
> http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2025
Excellent! -- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>