UNGA75: Bhutan backs G4 nations candidature as permanent members to expanded UNSC

Bhutan has long supported the aspirations of the G4 countries-- India, Japan, Germany and Brazil -- to serve as permanent members to an expanded United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said on Friday (local time).

Addressing the virtual 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Tshering called for reform in the UN saying the world body must evolve and match the changing realities.

"At the same time, the UN must also evolve and match the changing realities, in particular, the existing structure and composition of the UN Security Council to not reflect the current realities and circumstances of the world. Bhutan has also long supported the aspirations of the G4 countries to serve as permanent members to an expanded Security Council. Of course, Africa also appropriately represented," Tshering said.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of the G4 countries held a virtual meeting coinciding with the 75th session of the UNGA during which they held extensive discussion on the need for urgent reform of the UNSC.

The G4 countries reiterated their support for each other's candidature as aspiring new permanent members in a reformed UNSC.

A joint press statement said the ministers highlighted the urgency of reforming the UN and updating its main decision-making bodies, to better reflect contemporary realities.

Asserting that COVID-19 knows 'no border', the Bhutan PM on Friday called on the international community to share all the critical resources, including vaccines, with developing countries for the successful fight against the pandemic.

"Like climate change, COVID-19 also knows no border and similarly affects developing countries disproportionately. We do not know what is coming next and we do not know SARS COVID III will hit us. In that sense are we not interconnected. Is there a second option to multilateralism?" he asked.

"Peaceful co-existence among ourselves and with the nature around us is the best vaccine for humty to thrive on this planet In a small and intricate world while fighting a highly infectious disease, it will be a big blunder if you do not help the developing world to have access to the all the resources including a vaccine," he added.

( With inputs from ANI )