Wednesday, July 27 2005 17:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: Accusing India and three other countries seeking permanent membership on the UN Security Council of using "unethical means" and financially "blackmailing" some members for support, Italy has called for an independent inquiry into the matter.

In a blistering attack, Italy's UN envoy Marcello Spatafora said the G4 comprising Brazil, Germany, India and Japan were "resorting to financial leverage and to financial pressures in order to induce a government to align, or not to align, itself with a certain position, or to co-sponsor or vote in favour of a certain draft".

Speaking after Canada introduced the "Uniting for Consensus" (UFC) resolution on expansion of the Security Council last evening, Spatafora said what is at stake is the "credibility" of the organization and of the reforms process.

This was the third resolution to be introduced in the 191-member Assembly, the first was moved by G-4 and the second by African Union. None has been brought to vote yet.

Spatafora mostly referred to G-4 as a group except once when he accused an unidentified G-4 member of threatening to cut off development aid to a country, which had co-sponsored the UFC resolution. He also did not identify the alleged victim.

'G-4 putting financial pressure on UFC supporter'

The donor country had informed UFC supporter that it would end development project already in place in that country and would not start another infrastructure project that had already been agreed to, he alleged.

The $ 460,000 project, the donor threatened to cut off concerned children, the Italian diplomat said, in an apparent attempt to win sympathy of the member States.

This, he said, is much more serious than even the oil-for-food scandal. For, it is not a question of "pocketing money" but of "ethics and moral values." It is a question of "blackmailing some sectors of membership, taking undue advantage from their vital needs," he added.

It is the "moral obligation" of the international community "not to allow a reform of the Security Council to be decided in this unhealthy and poisonous environment," he said.

It was not clear to whom Spatafora was referring as throughout his speech he did not identify any one G-4 member.

Italian envoy calls for inquiry

The Italian envoy called for an inquiry into the episode by independent committee or "any other initiative" which the President of the General Assembly might deem fit.

Earlier introducing the resolution, Canadian Ambassador Allan Rock said their objective is to achieve the "fairest and the most democratic approach to the complex and controversial question" of the Security Council enlargement, "while seeking broadest possible consensus" on how to proceed.

He explained the various provisions of the resolution and said it provides for "meaningful and effective" Security Council reform without "forcing divisive and potentially damaging votes on the General Assembly as individual states vie for special status."

UFC's is the first resolution which does not call for expansion of the permanent membership of the Council. It seeks expansion of the Council by adding ten more non permanent members which would take their number to 20 and the strength of the Council to 25.