The report identified six areas as the greatest threats to worldwide security and proposed ways to deal with them. These are continued poverty and environmental destruction, terrorism, civil war, conflict between countries, the spread of nuclear weapons and organized crime.
Both proposals would increase the size of the Council from fifteen to twenty-four members. One proposal would add six new permanent members -- two from Africa, two from Asia and one each from Europe and the Americas. Three additional members would be elected for two-year terms.
The most divisive issue was the proposed enlargement of the U.N.'s most powerful group, the Security Council. The committee presented two proposals.
The group also proposed a definition of terrorism. That is an effort the U.N. General Assembly has tried unsuccessfully to do for years.
I'm Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.
Currently, the Security Council has five permanent members and ten temporary members with terms of two years each. The five permanent members are the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France. These countries can veto resolutions. Neither proposal would extend veto powers to any new Security Council members.
没有评论:
发表评论