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Western European and Others Group

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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]

Group of Western European and Other States
AbbreviationWEOG
Formation1957; 67 years ago (1957)
TypeRegional group
Legal statusActive
icon Politics portal
WEOG member and observer states

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

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Member states

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

Observer states

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  •   United States of America[a]
    • The United States of America is not formally a member of any regional group, but attends meetings of WEOG as an observer and is considered to be a member of the group for electoral purposes.[7]
  •   Vatican City[9]

Israel

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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

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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

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Security Council

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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]

Country Term
  France Permanent
  United States of America Permanent
  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Permanent
  Malta 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2024
   Switzerland 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2024

Economic and Social Council

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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]

Country Term
  Belgium 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024
  Canada
  Italy
  United States of America
  Denmark 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025
  Greece
  New Zealand
  Sweden
  France 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2026
  Germany
  Liechtenstein
  Spain
  United Kingdom

Human Rights Council

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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]

Country Term
  France 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023
  United Kingdom
  Finland 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024
  Luxembourg
  United States
  Belgium 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025
  Germany

Presidency of the General Assembly

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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 Elected Session Name of President Country Note
1965 20th Amintore Fanfani   Italy
1970 25th Edvard Hambro   Norway
1975 30th Gaston Thorn   Luxembourg
1980 35th Rüdiger von Wechmar   Federal Republic of Germany Also chaired the eighth emergency special session of the General Assembly
1985 40th Jaime de Piniés   Spain Also chaired the thirteenth special session of the General Assembly
1990 45th Guido de Marco   Malta
1995 50th Diogo de Freitas do Amaral   Portugal
2000 55th Harri Holkeri   Finland Also chaired the tenth emergency special, twenty-fifth special and twenty-sixth special sessions of the General Assembly
2005 60th Jan Eliasson   Sweden
2010 65th Joseph Deiss    Switzerland
2015 70th Mogens Lykketoft   Denmark
2020 75th Volkan Bozkır   Turkey
Future
2025 80th TBD TBD
2030 85th TBD TBD
2035 90th TBD TBD

Timeline of electoral membership

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Years Number of members Notes
1957 13 Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
1958 14 Australia (de facto)
1959 15 South Africa (de facto)
1960 16 Canada (de facto)
1961 17 Finland
1963 18 Turkey
1964 19 Australia and Canada (de jure), New Zealand, Malta. South Africa was kicked out.
1971 22 France, United Kingdom, United States
1973 23 West Germany
1990 24 Liechtenstein, German reunification
1992 25 San Marino
1993 27 Monaco, Andorra
2000 28 Israel
2002 29 Switzerland

The Western European and Others Group was originally created in 1957 without its consent, after Latin America, Asia and Africa,[e] 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

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  1. ^ a b Wanza, Serah N. (27 November 2017). "What Are The Five Regional Groups of the United Nations?". Worldatlas. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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 Record PV.25. General Assembly: Fifty-fifth session - 25th plenary meeting A/55/PV.25 pages 21–5. Vinci Niel Clodumar Nauru (in English). 20 September at 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. ^ a b 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

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  1. ^ a b c 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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