October 2006 New Powers for Global Change: Brazil at the UN STEPHANIE KAGE The Brazilian government has woven a network of coalitions that stretches across continents and also bridges the North-South divide on certain topics. A founding member of the G77 1 and a strong promoter of South-South cooperation, Brazil is a driving force in the regional trade cooperation and integration, for example through MERCOSUR and the South American Community of Nations 2 . Brazil is also a member of the OAS. 3 In the UN’s political consultations, Brazil is coordinating its actions with the Rio Group 4 (e.g., peacekeeping mission in Haiti and UN reform) which established regular meetings with China and the EU. Over the last few years Brazil has significantly reduced its backing of the US-government in the General Assembly(GA). Alliances outside of Latin America have gained in significance. The Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries(CPSC) 5 was initiated in 1996. CPSC supported UN peace efforts in East Timor and in Guinea-Bissau. In 2005, President Mr. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva invited 34 South American, Middle Eastern and North African nations as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League. Participants agreed to collaborate on numerous topics at the UN. The most prominent new example of an intercontinental Southern cooperation is the India-Brazil-South Africa(IBSA) Dialogue Forum founded in 2003. IBSA agreed to consult each other on all issues of significance in the UN and its 1 Group of 77( G77), established in 1964 at first session of UNCTAD, 131 members from developing countries 2 Mercosur(English: Southern Common Market), founded 1991, customs union of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela; associated: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. South American Community of Nations ( Mercosur and Andean Community), expected 2007. 3 Organization of American States( OAS), established in 1948, members: all 35 American countries except for Cuba. 4 Rio Group, created in 1986, members: 19 Latin American states and CARICOM(Caribbean Community); It was set up as an alternative to the OAS to avoid US-domination. 5 Members: Angola, Brazil, Capo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome e Principe. specialized agencies, including biodiversity, climate change, peaceful use of atomic energy, the global counter-terrorism initiative and the reform of the UN Security Council(SC). The group has overlapping interests and the power to promote common initiatives and establish links to industrialized countries. Innovative Financing Mechanisms for the fight against hunger, poverty and disease President Lula set new priorities in Brazil’s UN policy. He launched together with the Presidents of France and Chile at the United Nations the initiative”Action against Hunger and Poverty” in September 2004. Its aim is to find and implement new financing mechanisms to reach the UN Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) and to provide additional sources of finance to the official development assistance goal of 0.7%. Begun as the“Lula group,” 6 by now about 40 countries have committed themselves to support the project of “solidarity contributions,” beginning with a levy on air tickets. The proceeds and direct contributions are intended to increase access to high-quality diagnostics and drugs against Malaria, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis in the poorest countries by the newly created International Drug Purchase Facility UNITAID. 7 Additionally, Brazil, India and South Africa have committed themselves to pay at least $1 million per year to the UNDP-administered IBSA Fund for public health, education, sanitation and food security projects. Brazilian Position on Other UN Reforms The current Brazilian government addresses equity and justice for instance by backing the concept of“Human security” at the UN. Brazil sees the Peacebuilding Commission as the missing link between security and development. 6 Algeria, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany and Spain. 7 UNITAID, launched in September 2006, core group: Brazil, Chile, France, Norway and the United Kingdom, WHO will host the UNITAID secretariat.

Brazil at the UN FES New York Fact Sheet October 2006 Page 2 Brazil also supported the founding of the Human could no longer find a consensus. The conference Rights Council. In light of its own large indigenous(under Brazilian presidency) ended without a final populations, Brazil pleads for the adoption of the document. Brazil is a member of the conventions Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous on biological and chemical weapons and has Peoples and favors the discussion of a right of ratified the convention on landmines in 1999, but it petition in cases of violation of cultural, social and has not begun to destroy its stocks. economic rights. Environment Reform of Security Council On the invitation of the government of Brazil, the Brazil wants to become a permanent member of the UN Conference on Environment and Development SC, emphasizing that discussions about procedural(UNCED) was held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. questions alone would not ensure the SC’s Brazil is an active member of the UN Commission legitimacy. The UN, which“lectures everybody about democracy should start applying it to itself”. 8 The on Sustainable Development(CSD), which is responsible for the follow-up to UNCED and fully Brazilian candidacy revived old regional tensions supports the newly developed principles for and drew protests in Brazil’s civil society. Cándido environmental protection. It has signed the Grzybowski, one of the organizers of the World Agenda 21 as well as declarations and Social Forum, called it a product of old nationalist conventions on climate change, biodiversity, and militarism and of the dream of becoming a great power. 9 forests. Brazil actively promotes bio-fuels and calls for the establishment of an international organization for the environment. Terrorism and Disarmament Brazil declares its will to work on a convention on Date of accession to UN: Oct. 24, 1945 terrorism, while at the same time pointing at the Contribution to regular UN budget*:$26 million social roots of the problem and advocating only for (2006) those interventions that comply with the principles of Contribution to peacekeeping:(June 2006): the UN Charter. Brazil remains one of the major 1,217 troops, 10 police, 30 military observers(13th gateways to the world markets of illicit drugs and from top) some of its major problem areas like violence and HIV/AIDS are linked to drugs. Consequently, the government is committed to promote regional and multinational collaboration. Being the second-largest exporter of small arms, Brazil insists on its right to arms procurement(while its citizens claim a right to self-defense in light of the fourth-highest gun-related death rate in the world). Together with the OAS Brazil is fighting illicit manufacturing and trafficking. But it is accepting only small arms control measures that are implemented on a national level. 10 Since May 2006 Brazil is mastering the nuclear fuel cycle, 11 but it has adhered to the Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT). In 2000 it called with others 12 for complete nuclear disarmament. In 2005, however, at the following NPT Review Conference this coalition SC member: 1946/47, 1951/52, 1954/55, 1963/64, 1967/68, 1988/89, 1993/94, 1998/99, 2004/05 Important UN posts: Mr. Luiz Carlos da Costa (Deputy Special Representative of SG for Operations and Rule of Law for Liberia), Mr. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro(Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar and on Violence against Children), Mr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso(Chair Panel on UN-Civil Society Relations), Mr. Eduardo Aguiar de Almeida(Member UNPFII) Membership in Commissions and Committees 13 : Peacebuilding Commission, Law Commission and UNCITRAL, CEDAW, Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean, Human Rights Council, Governing Council UNEP # of NGOs from Brazil registered with DPI 14 : 6 8 Ambassador Mr. Celso Amorim, Minister of External Relations at the Opening of the General Debate of the 60th (out of 1724) # of registered partnerships with Commission Session of the GA on September 17, 2005, p. 4(retrieved for Sustainable Development active in Brazil: September 3, 2006 from www.un.org/webcast/ga/60/statements/bra050917eng.pdf). 9 Osava, Mario,“Security Council Reform Not Just a Question of Numbers”, Global Policy Forum, July 5, 2005 24(out of 321) # of Brazilian enterprises participating in Global Compact: 127 companies(out of 3709) (retrieved September 3, 2006 from www.globalpolicy.org/security/reform/cluster1/2005/0705sc reform.htm). 10 Dreyfus, Pablo and Bandeira, Antônio Rangel, Watching Further Reading: www.brazil.org.uk, Brazilian Embassy in London Sennes, Ricardo U. and Barbosa, Alexandre de the Neighborhood, Working document no. 2, Small arms control project(Rio de Janeiro, 2006)(retrieved September 3, 2006 from www.smallarmssurvey.org/files/portal/spotlight/country/ amer_pdf/americas_arg_bol_bra_para_uru_2006.pdf). 11 Flemes, Daniel,“Urananreicherung im Hinterhof: Freitas,“Brazil’s Multiple Forms of External Engagement”, in: Reforming from the Top: A Leader’s 20 Summit(New York, NY: United Nations University Press, 2005), p. 201- 229. Brasiliens Nuklearpolitik und die USA”, GIGA Focus Lateinamerika, no. 6(2006). 12 Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, 13 For lack of space, this list is non-exhaustive. 14 Data on NGOs registered with ECOSOC were not Sweden. available. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Friedrich Ebert Foundation New York Office 400 Madison Avenue, Suite 6C• New York, NY 10017 Tel:+1-212-687-0208• Fax:+1-212-687-0261• E-mail: fesny@fesny.org