LONDON -- The Japanese government is understandably frustrated by the delay in reaching agreement on enlargement of the Security Council. Japan makes the largest contribution to the running of the United Nations, but still has to take its turn as an elected member of the Security Council.
Britain, the United States and other leading powers have declared that they support Japan's application to become a permanent member of the council. There is also general support for permanent-member status for Germany, India and Brazil, but there is no consensus yet among the smaller powers, which ask why special preference should be given to larger powers.
The issue of whether permanent membership should give new members the same veto power as that granted to the initial five permanent members (the U.S., Russia (then the Soviet Union), China, Britain and France) must also be settled. The five original member-states are unwilling to give up the veto and cannot be compelled to do so, but there is opposition to extending the veto to additional permanent members.