On
Small Five
Reforms, As P5
Confab with
PGA,
Two-Thirds
Vote Required?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May 15,
updated 6:58
pm -- At the
UN, the Small
Five got
the attention
of the
Permanent Five
members of the
Security
Council. It
was after 5 pm
when the P5,
each
representated
at the level
of Permanent
Representative,
came out from
the President
of the General
Assembly's
office.
They
huddled, and
afterward one
of the
Permanent
Representatives
confirmed to
Inner
City Press
that the topic
was "big, the reform
of the
Security
Council.
This requires
a two-thirds
vote. We hope
they [the
Small
Five] will
just withdraw
it."
Inner
City Press
first wrote
about the
Small Five
proposal on
May 2.
Costa Rica,
Jordan,
Liechtenstein,
Singapore and
Switzerland
make up the
Small
Five. Unlike
the G4, UFC
and L69 the
Small Five is
pushing to
reform
the Council's
"working
methods," with
a resolution
making
21 reform
points.
These
include no
vetoes of
actions aimed
at preventing
or ending
genocide, war
crimes
and crimes
against
humanity,
given the
General
Assembly a
greater
role in
selecting the
Secretary
General, and
improving due
process in
sanctions
lists.
Earlier on
Tuesday May 15
another P5
source told
Inner City
Press that the
Legal
Adviser --
presumably
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon top
lawyer
Patricia
O'Brien -- had
dutifully
issued a
ruling that a
two thirds
vote, rather
than simple
majority,
should be
required on
the draft
resolution of
the Small Five
to recommend
Council
reforms.
Back
on May 2, a
proponent
Permanent
Representative
told Inner
City Press
that it was
90% sure that
this
resolution
will be put to
a vote on May
16. And
now? Watch
this site.
Update
of 6:50 pm --
Inner City
Press asked
the President
of the General
Assembly, when
he emerged at
6:45 pm on the
way to the
Jamaica-sponsored
concerned in
the GA Hall,
if two thirds
or 50 percent
will be
required.
"We are still
going through
it," he said,
"in the
morning." But
what of the
Legal
Adviser's
ruling? On the
way into the
North Lawn
building, one
of the Small
Five Permanent
Representatives
told Inner
City Press,
"onward to
victory!"
Update
of 6:58 pm --
When the Small
Five, and
entourage,
came out later
from the PGA's
office, one of
their
representatives
told Inner
City Press
with a smile,
"We say simple
majority and
that it will
be adopted by
consensus!"
We'll see.
, 
