You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Caribbean-Latin America
India to seek Caribbean Community's support in bid for permanent UN seat
2005-02-15
This'll put 'em over the top, by Gawd!
PARAMARIBO, Suriname - India will seek the support of the 15-member Caribbean Community in its bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, an official said. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Indian Minister of State Rao Inderjit Singh said a permanent seat would allow his country to be an advocate for developing nations around the world. "India would cater to the hopes and aspirations of the developing world, which we feel today has been underrepresented in the UN," Singh said in Paramaribo, where he will be a special guest at this week's Caribbean Community summit. Caribbean officials were busy dividing the boodle and weren't immediately available for comment.

India is among several countries that claim to have achieved regional superpower status and have been pressing for permanent Security Council seats. In return for the Caribbean Community's support, India will consider providing aid to the region, Singh said, noting that his country has already agreed to help finance an Information Technology training center in Guyana. India has also expressed interest in hosting a Caribbean Arts festival later this year, Singh said.
Yah mon! Cool runnings, sahib!
Posted by:Steve White

#8  Either that or send us some of the real good ganja, mon...
Posted by: India   2005-02-15 3:22:41 PM  

#7  "a regional superpower however has inordinate amounts of sway in its region compared to that of its neighbours."

Hey anyone can be a superpower, but how many can be a HYPERPOWER! The one thing the French did right was give us a new better sounding title.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2005-02-15 3:13:51 PM  

#6  France's Chair - 1 Chair for the EU - Britain's
Posted by: Frank G   2005-02-15 2:17:58 PM  

#5  Sarge: true. But Indian influence in the Caribbean would make it a superpower, and not a regional power.

Aris: the RoC/PRC gambit was based on a credential end-run which managed to avoid a Security Council veto. Unless India managed to convince the General Assembly to, say, decredential Russia and declare India the holder of the Soviet Union's old seat, I don't think they're going to be able to leverage Assembly influence in this fashion.

Although I like the idea of decredentialing Russia in favor of Ukraine, now that I think on it.

Hrm. I think I may have left the wrong impression. I'm all in favor of having India permanently on the Security Council, along with Japan and Brazil. Maybe South Africa.

The ugly question is, who doesn't belong on the Council? A case could be made for removing the UK and France, and passing the combined seat to the EU. Keep in mind, that I don't want to see the UK out of the Council, but any line of argument that holds that France doesn't belong on the Council has to apply to the UK as well. Me, I think that any nation with a functional aircraft carrier belongs on the Security Council. Call it the "Big Stick" proviso.
Posted by: Mitch H.   2005-02-15 1:59:01 PM  

#4  France has a permanent seat and they aren't even a regional power. I say giv'em Frances chair. I got 20 bucks that says India could kick there butts.
Posted by: BrerRabbit   2005-02-15 12:08:38 PM  

#3  Uh Mitch, if they (India) get some Carribean countries to help them, that would make them a Major World power. Last time I checked India is not in the Western hemisphere. I say its about time India got a seat and we kick off France. India represents 1Billion people and France is miniscule by comparison.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2005-02-15 10:48:02 AM  

#2  Yeah, you know, you can't actually be a "regional superpower". By definition, a "superpower" has sway outside of its own region. I think you mean "regional power", poindexter.

You are nitpicking. There can be many "powers" in a region, bigger and lesser -- a regional superpower however has inordinate amounts of sway in its region compared to that of its neighbours.

I don't think the Assembly even has any "constitutional" power, in terms of amending the Security Council, does it?

The General Assembly actually managed to evict Taiwan from the Security Council and place mainland China in its place, if I remember correctly.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2005-02-15 10:44:50 AM  

#1  Yeah, you know, you can't actually be a "regional superpower". By definition, a "superpower" has sway outside of its own region. I think you mean "regional power", poindexter.

But if you're looking to game the UN, the Caribbean is definitely the place to start. It's a treasure-trove of General Assembly votes, with one of the highest per-capita fractional ratios of inhabitants to Assembly seats.

If the General Assembly had any actual real-world importance, it might almost inspire a seat-poor mega-country like India to pull a CIS, and split into a federation of "sovereign" republics. Luckily, all the General Assembly is good for is funding massive NGO junkets and passing "Jews suck" resolutions.

I don't think the Assembly even has any "constitutional" power, in terms of amending the Security Council, does it? That's done by the Council proper, if I'm not mistaken.
Posted by: Mitch H.   2005-02-15 10:17:22 AM  

00:00