Japan on Thursday urged the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council to limit the use of their veto power in order to break the deadlock in the debate on reforming the Security Council.
Japanese Ambassador Yu Sato made the plea at the U.N. General Assembly, but the idea was promptly shot down by the United States.
"On the question of the veto, it is clear that an overwhelming majority of U.N. member states wish to restrict its use," Sato said in an address to the General Assembly.
Restricting or eliminating the veto currently wielded by the U.S. and four other permanent Security Council members has been a key issue in the current debate on reforming U.N. institutions and enjoys widespread support among developing states.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. James B. Cunningham said Washington opposes any idea of watering down the veto power, but acknowledged its popularity among members.
"We continue to believe the veto has real value in helping the council maintain international peace and security and is integral to the Charter and to the United Nations itself. We will continue to oppose any effort to limit it," Cunningham said.
The U.S. envoy affirmed Washington's support for Japan and Germany to become permanent Security Council members.
Sato underlined the broad support shown to Japan's proposal to expand both permanent and nonpermanent members of the Security Council, saying that 69 member countries have backed the proposal while only four countries favor an expansion of nonpermanent membership alone.
Envoys from 110 member states are scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly on the issue of Security Council reform on Thursday and Friday.