Western European and Others Group

Last updated
Group of Western European and Other States
AbbreviationWEOG
Formation1957;67 years ago (1957)
Type Regional group
Legal statusActive
A coloured voting box.svg Politicsportal
WEOG member and observer states UN WEOG members.svg
WEOG member and observer states

The Group of Western European and Other States, also known as the Western European and Other States Group or WEOG, is one of the five United Nations regional groups and is composed of 28 Member States mainly from Western Europe, but also from North America, the Eastern Mediterranean, Fennoscandia and Oceania. [1]

Contents

The Group is a non-binding dialogue group where subjects concerning regional and international matters are discussed. Additionally, the Group works to help allocate seats on United Nations bodies by nominating candidates from the region. [2] [3] [4]

Unlike most other Regional Groups, WEOG is unusual in that geography is not the sole defining factor of its membership. Instead, its membership is based on geopolitical breakdown, being part of the "Western world" of affluent, developed liberal democracies, and are either part of Western Europe or a majority European-descended state, and part of the NATO military alliance and/or the US-led western military-economic community. [5] [6]

Membership

Member states

The following are the current Member States of the Western European and Others Group: [7] [8]

Observer states

Israel

While geographically located in Asia, Israel has been blocked from joining the Asia-Pacific Group by various Arab states. Due to having no regional group, Israel was unable to participate in the political and professional consultations within the framework of the United Nations and its agencies between its admission in 1949 and 1999. It was also unable to have its representatives elected to United Nations institutions due to the fact that it was not part of any regional group. [5] [10] In 1964, Israel applied to join WEOG and was rejected. [2]

This changed in May 2000, when Israel became a temporary member of the WEOG at the United Nations in New York, allowing it to put forward candidates for election to various United Nations General Assembly bodies. However, this temporary membership still precluded Israel from participating in activities at United Nations offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Rome and Vienna. [11]

On 30 April 2004, the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution calling for the full inclusion of Israel in WEOG, directing the U.S. Government to pursue action to "ensure the extension and upgrade of Israel's membership in the Western European and Others Group at the United Nations." [12] This was accomplished in May 2004, when Israel was granted a permanent renewal for WEOG proceedings in New York.

However, it was not until November 2013 when Israel was finally admitted into WEOG proceedings at the United Nations Geneva Office, 1 January 2014. [13] [14]

Suggested reform

In his address before the General Assembly at the 55th General Debate, Vinci Niel Clodumar, the head of the Nauru Delegation, advocated for the creation of a new Oceania regional group to include both Australia and New Zealand, as well as the ASEAN member countries, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Pacific island countries. In his speech he mentioned that "the 11 Pacific island countries are drowning in the Asian Group, while Australia and New Zealand...are marooned in the Group of Western European and other States." [15]

Representation

Security Council

The Western European and Other States Group holds 5 seats on the Security Council, 2 non-permanent and 3 permanent. The current members of the Security Council from the Group are: [16] [17]

CountryTerm
Flag of France.svg  France Permanent
Flag of the United States.svg  United States of America Permanent
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Permanent
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2024
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2024

Economic and Social Council

The Western European and Other States Group holds 13 seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The current members of the Economic and Social Council from the Group are: [18] [19]

CountryTerm
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Flag of the United States.svg  United States of America
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
Flag of France.svg  France 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2026
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg  Liechtenstein
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom

Human Rights Council

The Western European and Other States Group holds 7 seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. The current members of the Economic and Social Council from the Group are: [20] [21]

CountryTerm
Flag of France.svg  France 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany

Presidency of the General Assembly

Every five years in the years ending in 0 and 5, the Western European and Other States Group is eligible to elect a president to the General Assembly. [1]

The following is a list of presidents from the region since its official creation in 1961: [22]

Year ElectedSessionName of PresidentCountryNote
196520th Amintore Fanfani Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
197025th Edvard Hambro Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
197530th Gaston Thorn Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
198035th Rüdiger von Wechmar Flag of Germany.svg  Federal Republic of Germany Also chaired the eighth emergency special session of the General Assembly
198540th Jaime de Piniés Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Also chaired the thirteenth special session of the General Assembly
199045th Guido de Marco Flag of Malta.svg  Malta
199550th Diogo de Freitas do Amaral Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
200055th Harri Holkeri Flag of Finland.svg  Finland Also chaired the tenth emergency special, twenty-fifth special and twenty-sixth special sessions of the General Assembly
200560th Jan Eliasson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
2010 65th Joseph Deiss Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland
2015 70th Mogens Lykketoft Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
2020 75th Volkan Bozkır Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
Future
202580thTBDTBD
203085thTBDTBD
203590thTBDTBD

Timeline of electoral membership

YearsNumber of membersNotes
195713Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
195814Australia (de facto)
195915South Africa (de facto)
196016Canada (de facto)
196117Finland
196318Turkey
196419Australia and Canada (de jure), New Zealand, Malta. South Africa was kicked out.
197122France, United Kingdom, United States
197323West Germany
199024Liechtenstein, German reunification
199225San Marino
199327Monaco, Andorra
200028Israel
200229Switzerland

The Western European and Others Group was originally created in 1957 without its consent, after Latin America, Asia and Africa, [lower-alpha 5] and Eastern Europe made their own groups. States like Australia wanted to keep the previous Commonwealth group, while states like France did not want to caucus with the Commonwealth states. At first, Canada considered applying for the Latin American group and renaming it a "Western Hemisphere" group, while Australia and New Zealand considered applying for the Asian group. [2]

Between 1957 and 1963, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa negotiated with the Western European states for WEOG seats on the United Nations General Committee, while simultaneously not recognizing themselves as WEOG members. Australia obtained seats in 1958 and 1962, Canada obtained a seat in 1960, and South Africa obtained a seat in 1959. In 1964, the Western European states formally invited Canada, Australia, and New Zealand into their caucus, while refusing to invite Israel and South Africa. [2]

Under pressure from the Soviet Union, Finland was initially in the Eastern European Group until 1960. Finland switched to WEOG in 1961. [2] [23] [24]

Turkey was a member of the Asian group electorally until at least 1961, switching to WEOG by 1963. [25] [26] The General Assembly does not have a record of which group Turkey was a member of electorally in 1962. [27] [ better source needed ]

The wording of the 1957 General Assembly resolution placed the permanent members of the Security Council in their own group, causing France, the United Kingdom, and the United States to not count as part of WEOG electorally. When ECOSOC was expanded, the wording of the 1963 General Assembly resolution only assigned groups to the nine new seats, leaving the aforementioned permanent three still outside of WEOG electorally. When ECOSOC was expanded again, the wording of the 1971 General Assembly resolution finally assigned groups to all of the seats, formally placing the permanent three into WEOG electorally.

The above table excludes states who attended WEOG meetings prior to having electoral weight. West Germany, Monaco, Switzerland, and the Holy See became WEOG observers in 1967, [28] [29] [30] while the first record from the US Department of State of the United States attending a WEOG meeting as an observer is from 1970. [31]

In approximately the first half of the 1960s, Yugoslavia participated in both WEOG and the Eastern European Group (similar to Turkey participating in two groups), but was only ever counted in the Eastern European Group electorally. Also during this time, Cyprus participated in both WEOG and the Asian group, but was only ever counted in the Asian group electorally. Both eventually left WEOG around the mid-1960s. [28]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Wanza, Serah N. (27 November 2017). "What Are The Five Regional Groups of the United Nations?". Worldatlas. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Agam, Hasmy; Sam Daws; Terence O'Brien; Ramesh Takur (26 March 1999). What is Equitable Geographic Representation in the Twenty-First Century (PDF) (Report). United Nations University. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  3. ↑ Volger, Helmut, ed. (2010). A Concise Encyclopedia of the United Nations (PDF). Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. pp. 592–6. ISBN   978-90-04-18004-8. S2CID   159105596. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-01-13.
  4. ↑ Götz, Norbert (2008). "Western Europeans and Others: The Making of Europe at the United Nations". Alternatives. 33 (3): 359–81. doi:10.1177/030437540803300305. S2CID   145099552 . Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  5. 1 2 "United Nations: Israel & the WEOG". Jewish Virtual Library. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. n.d. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  6. ↑ Service, America Times News (October 4, 2022). "Speech by H.E. President José Ramos-Horta of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly".
  7. 1 2 "Regional groups of Member States". United Nations Department for General Assembly and Conference management. United Nations. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  8. ↑ "United Nations Handbook 2018–19" (PDF). United Nations Handbook: An Annual Guide for Those Working with and within the United Nations (56 ed.). Wellington: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand: 15–17. 2018. ISSN   0110-1951.
  9. 1 2 "Groups of Member States". United Nations.
  10. ↑ "Israel Accepted to WEOG". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. State of Israel. 28 May 2000. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  11. ↑ Crossette, Barbara (1 June 200). "Israel's Bittersweet Moment: One Step Out of Isolation at U.N." New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  12. ↑ Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of full membership of Israel in the Western European and Others Group at the United Nations (Resolution H.RES.615). United States House of Representatives. 30 April 2004.
  13. ↑ Kerry, John (2 December 2013). "Israel Invited To Join the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) in Geneva" (Press release). Washington, DC: U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Geneva. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  14. ↑ Lazaroff, Tovah (1 December 2013). "Israel invited to join UN's Western nations group in Geneva". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  15. ↑ United Nations General Assembly Session 55 Official RecordPV.25. General Assembly: Fifty-fifth session - 25th plenary meetingA/55/PV.25 pages 21–5. Vinci Niel Clodumar Nauru (in English ). 20 Septemberat 3pm. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  16. ↑ "Current Members". United Nations Security Council. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  17. ↑ "General Assembly Elects Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia, South Africa as Non-permanent Members of Security Council". United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases. United Nations. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  18. ↑ "Members". United Nations Economic and Social Council. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  19. ↑ "General Assembly Elects 19 Economic and Social Council Members to Terms Beginning 1 January 2020, Adopts Resolution Commemorating Signing of United Nations Charter". United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases. United Nations. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  20. ↑ "Current Membership of the Human Rights Council, 1 January - 31 December 2019 by regional groups". United Nations Human Rights Council. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  21. ↑ "General Assembly Elects 14 Member States to Human Rights Council, Appoints New Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services". United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases. United Nations. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  22. ↑ "Past Presidents". United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  23. ↑ Hovet, Jr., Thomas (1960). Bloc Politics in the United Nations. Harvard University Press. ISBN   978-0674186545.
  24. ↑ Padelford, Norman J. “Politics and the Future of ECOSOC.” International Organization, vol. 15, no. 4, 1961, pp. 564–80. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2705552. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.
  25. ↑ "A/PV.1009".
  26. ↑ "A/64/100".
  27. ↑ "A/PV.1124".
  28. 1 2 Götz, Norbert. “Western Europeans and Others: The Making of Europe at the United Nations.” Alternatives: Global, Local, Political, vol. 33, no. 3, 2008, pp. 359–81. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40645245. Accessed 11 May 2024.
  29. ↑ "Telegram 15113 From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts, January 21, 1976, 1737Z".
  30. ↑ "European political cooperation at the United Nations General Assembly in the 1980's.Assembly in the 1980's".
  31. ↑ "61. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State". Historical Documents - Office of the Historian. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume V, United Nations, 1969–1972, Committee of 24 (Documents 47–81). New York, October 8, 1970, 0001Z.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Permanent member of the United Nations Security Council
  2. ↑ Represented by West Germany until 1990. East Germany was part of the Eastern European Group 1973–1990.
  3. ↑ While geographically located in Asia, Israel has participated in WEOG since 2000
  4. ↑ Turkey is a member of both WEOG and the Asian Group, but for voting purposes is only part of WEOG. [9]
  5. ↑ Asia and Africa did not split into two different groups until 1963 de facto, and until 1971 de jure.
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