G4 Countries – Group of 4 Countries

G4 countries, also known as Group of four countries, is a coalition of four influential countries— India, Japan, Brazil & Germany that united in their pursuit of reforming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). This alliance emerged in the late 20th century as a response to the perceived need for more inclusive and representative decision-making within the UN, particularly in the Security Council, which plays a crucial role in global peace and security.

In this article, we will cover the G4 Countries, along with their formation, demands, challenges, and G4 countries summit.

What are G4 Countries?

G4 Countries is a group of 4 countries – Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan – that have been advocating for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). These countries aspire to become permanent members of the UNSC, which is currently composed of five permanent members with veto power (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.

When was G4 founded?

The G4 was founded in 2005 with a vision to transform the narratives of the UNSC while bringing reform to its rules and regulations along with the decisions it makes for the United Nations and international peace and relations. It consists of four countries: India, Japan, Brazil & Germany. It was formed to support each other’s demands to secure a place in the United Nations Security Council which currently holds five permanent members: United States, Russian Federation, France, China & United Kingdom.

Why was G4 formed – Need for G4 Countries

The G4 has been formed due to several reasons and regular G4 summits are held to discuss the terms and conditions along with the demands G4 countries are raising. Below are a few reasons why the countries joined hands together to form G4 :

• G4 was formed with a demand for the reformation of the UNSC and support of each other in terms of securing a permanent place in the UNSC. The G4 countries are demanding a permanent place as this would provide them with veto power. Veto power is a power that forces any law or legislation to cease it. In other words, if a country has a veto power then a single denial by it would revoke the law and the law would not be able to move further.
• The UNSC Nations constitute this veto power and out of the five permanent countries, even if a single country does not agree with the legislation, it is not executed further. To enjoy this power and exercise the duties, G4 was formed.
• The G4 countries believe that including the actions and bureaucracy of the developed countries, it is equally important to keep a place for the ruling and opinion of developing countries as their opinion too matters on topics of international importance.
• The G4 was formed as the countries believe that they now hold an economically sustainable and financially stable position in the world and that their inclusion in the UNSC will prove to be beneficial not only for their countries but also for the world and matters of international peace and security.

Demands of G4 Countries

The G4 countries have held several meetings and have also voiced their opinions on the United Nations conference or the World Table Conferences. The external affairs ministries meet frequently to discuss the possibilities and the changes that the UNSC can have. In recent times, the G4 countries have been found to be demanding the following:

• The G4 countries need a permanent seat in the UNSC and not non-permanent ones which are provided for a period of 2 years. They want to enjoy veto power as this would help in better governance and ruling. For eg. China being a member of UNSC has the veto power. For long, India had been wanting to declare Masood Azhar as a global terrorist but this was revoked again and again, repeatedly for a long time by China due to it’s veto power.

• G4 demands a special status to Africa, permanent and non-permanent as it feels that Africa has faced a lot of disturbances and disruptions in the early years and providing a seat in the UNSC would help in better ruling and good political and international relations.

• The G4 countries want the option of seeking advice both from developed and developing countries as this would provide the UNSC with a greater perspective and wider horizon of view. They have claimed that however, the UNSC has remained the same since the very start, a reform that would change the UNSC for the betterment of the world is needed.

India as a member of G4 Countries

• India being the founding member of United Nations was given a chance by the United States & Soviet Union in 1950 to be a part of the UNSC, but India declined this due to the ongoing cold war politics. It was only recently when India expressed it’s desire to be a permanent member of the UNSC.

• India has been provided 8 times a 2 year non-permanent seat by the United States, the last one to be continued till 31st December, 2023. The inclusion of India is supported by almost every nation, for eg, Russia, China, US, UK etc, except for Pakistan in Asia.

• India believes that economically and financially, it is able to sustain itself and the GDP and revenues are on a highly stable rate. India’s inclusion would fetch it a geopolitical influence and it would be able to present it’s views and demands on a larger platform.

Why is India Demanding the Permanent Membership of the UNSC?

India is one of the world’s largest and most populous countries, and it plays a significant role in global affairs. As such, India argues that it deserves a permanent seat on the UNSC to better reflect its global standing and influence. India has been actively participating in UN peacekeeping missions since the 1950s. It is one of the largest contributors of troops to UN peacekeeping operations. India believes that its consistent contributions to global peace and security make a strong case for a permanent seat on the UNSC. India’s demand for permanent membership in the UNSC is part of a broader call for reform within the United Nations to make it more representative and responsive to the contemporary geopolitical landscape. However, achieving consensus on UNSC reforms is a complex and challenging process, involving negotiations among member states with different perspectives and interests.

Challenges faced by G4 Countries

The G4 countries have been facing several challenges and opposition from many countries, not only the ones concerned with UNSC, but even other. Here are a list of oppositions for the G4 countries :

• Although, China, US, UK and Russia are together in order to include India as a permanent member for the UNSC, they oppose the inclusion of Japan. China has clearly stated that India would be allowed to become a permanent member of the UNSC only if it stops to support Japan. The countries such as Russia and China have asked Japan to ask for forgiveness as it led to a lot of destruction and terror during World War II. And that Japan has done absolutely no humanitarian tasks until now and it does not have the moralistic attitude to be a part of the UNSC.

• As far as India is concerned, only Pakistan in Asia is against the permanent membership of India in the UNSC. China & Russia have shown support for the inclusion of both India & Brazil.

• North Korea too, along with China thinks that Japan needs to apologise for the atrocities and crimes it committed during the World War II.

• The Coffee Club, also known as the UFC – Uniting for Consensus is a group consisting of Italy, Canada and Pakistan. It is strictly against the inclusion of any more permanent seats in the UNSC since the 1990s and it is rigid on being against inclusion of the countries of G4 in the UNSC.

G4 Countries Summit, 2023

On 21st September, 2023, the Foreign Ministers of the G4 countries, H.E. Mr. Mauro Vieira, Foreign Minister of Brazil, H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock, Federal Foreign Minister of Germany, H.E. Ms. Yoko Kamikawa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and H.E. Mr. Sanjay Verma, Vice Minister, Ministry of External Affairs of India, met on the margins of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, to discuss the state of play of the negotiations for the reform of the UN Security Council. Apart from this, the discussions were:

• The G4 countries stated that the UNSC never takes decisions in favour of the IGN – Intergovernmental Negotiations. It is an organization which includes several countries, including those of G4 which works with United Nations to reform UNSC.

• The external affairs minister of India S. Jaishankar tweeted after the conference that the countries would continue working in the direction of Reformed Multilateralism.

• Along with this, the summit also discussed about the need to induce text based negotiations, rather than doing it orally. Moreover, they stated to consider these in a time bound notation in order to bring confirmation and better approach.

The G4 countries, through their collective advocacy for UNSC reform, highlight the evolving dynamics of global geopolitics and the necessity for international institutions to adapt. The ongoing discussions surrounding the G4’s proposals underscore the complex nature of diplomatic negotiations within the United Nations and the challenges associated with achieving consensus on matters of global significance. As the world continues to change, the question of UNSC reform remains a pertinent and crucial aspect of international relations.

Summary – G4 Countries

The G4 countries, including Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan, form a coalition advocating for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Established in 2005, their aim is to reform the UNSC for more inclusive decision-making. The G4 nations believe their economic stability and global influence warrant permanent seats, with veto power, in the UNSC. India, a G4 member, seeks permanent membership due to its significant global role. Challenges include opposition from some nations, like China opposing Japan’s inclusion. The recent G4 summit in 2023 emphasized the need for UNSC reform and text-based negotiations. Their efforts reflect the evolving dynamics of global geopolitics.

FAQs on G4 Countries

1. Which countries are a part of G4?

The G4 comprises of Brazil, India, Japan and Germany. The G4 has been formed in order to support each other’s bids to secure a permanent seat in the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) and bring a reform in it.

2. Why are the G4 countries demanding a permanent seat in the UNSC?

The G4 countries believe that inclusion of developing countries would bring about better changes and solutions for matters of international importance such as peace and security. This would help in preventing geopolitical crisis.

3. Is India a permanent member of the UNSC?

No. India is not a permanent member of the UNSC but it has served as a non-permanent member 8 times each for two years. The current two years tenure of India ended on 31st December, 2023.

4. Which countries are in support of the UNSC?

Countries such as US, China, Russia, UK are in support of India. China being in support with India only if it does not support Japan and wishes that India leaves the side of Japan as Japan is a country that disrupted the world on extremes during World War II.

5. When was the latest meeting of G4 held?

The latest meeting of G4 was held on 21st September, 2023. This meeting came out with suggestions to include text based negotiations with a limited time bounded period and that the developing countries too needed to be included in the UNSC.

6. Where is the headquarter of G4 Countries?

Each of the G4 countries has its own capital city where its government operates:

1. India: New Delhi
2. Brazil: Brasília
3. Germany: Berlin
4. Japan: Tokyo

7. What is the purpose of G4 Countries?

The primary goal of G4 Countries is to secure permanent seats on the UNSC, which is currently dominated by five permanent members with veto power. The G4 nations argue that the UNSC needs to be more inclusive and representative of the contemporary global landscape.

8. Is India a G4 Country?

Yes, India is one of the G4 countries. The Group of Four (G4) consists of Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan. These nations have formed a coalition to advocate for reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and strive for permanent seats on the council.

9. What are the G4 economies?

The G4 economies are:

• United States (U.S.)
• China
• Japan
• Germany