The British chancellor said that Brazil needs to have a “stronger voice” in international issues, including a permanent seat on the Security Council.
“The global balance of power has shifted to the south,” British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said at a press conference in Brasilia on May 24, on the occasion of the first visit by a senior British diplomat to Brazil in nine years. . “It is a reality that should be reflected in several multilateral institutions, including the United Nations.”
Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy and the region’s most populous country, has applied for years to join the Security Council as a permanent member. However, Britain and four other permanent members of the Security Council, including the US, Russia, China and France, have repeatedly blocked that effort.
“Brazil plays a decisive role in reshaping the international order and the multilateral system. Great Britain supports Brazil’s ambition to have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council,” said Cleverly.
The Brazilian chancellor, Mauro Vieira, replied that his country and Great Britain share the same position on the subject.
Cleverly’s comments showed a change in Britain’s position, but it was not immediately clear whether the proposal would receive approval from four other permanent members, all with veto powers.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly at a press conference in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, on May 24. Photo: AFP
Brazil, the final stop on Secretary of State Cleverly’s South American tour, following Chile, Jamaica and Colombia, comes after London recently announced a major contribution to a Brazilian fund to protect the Amazon rainforest. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged more than $100 million to the fund this month when he met Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead of the coronation of King Charles III.
The Security Council, made up of 10 non-permanent members and five permanent members, is tasked with responding to global crises with sanctions, authorizing military action and approving amendments to the United Nations Charter.
The five permanent members of the Security Council have veto power, which allows them to overturn any resolution of the body. The remaining 10 non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms and have no veto power. Countries alternate as Chairs of the Security Council every month in alphabetical order.
The Charter of the United Nations does not permit a change of permanent membership. Any change to the Charter must be approved by at least two-thirds of the board members, which must include all five permanent members.
Huyen Le (according to AFP)
