Europa Newswire
Photo by: Luiz Rampelotto
November 20, 2009
By Amy Lieberman
When Brazil joins the Security Council as a non-permanent member in January 2010, its politically neutral persona will offer potential for a greater level of fluid, international dialogue – not to mention a stronger female presence, according to its permanent representative, H.E. Maria Luiza Viotti.
“I think we bring a capacity to talk to different parties,” Ambassador Viotti explained to Europa Newswire. “We are seen as a trustworthy partner in discussions. We have been able to have a presence not only in our region, but beyond our region, as well, that is seen as a constructive, stabilizing one. That is a major contribution we will be able to make to the Security Council.”
Other nations, including the United States and Israel, appear to already be turning to Brazil as a strong mediatory force. Both nations have supported Brazil welcoming Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Nov. 24, given the country’s potential to keep dialogue with Iran flowing.
Viotti, the first female Brazilian envoy to the UN, says that method of open communication, and multidimensional approaches to diplomacy, is one Brazil would uphold if elected to serve as a permanent member of the Security Council, alongside present permanent members China, France, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S.A.
She sat down with Europa Newswire on a sunny Thursday afternoon to discuss everything from the need to reform an the Security Council, to Brazil’s success in already having met the Millennium Development Goals laid out by the UN.
This will be Brazil’s 10th mandate in the Security Council (the last was from 2004-2005), and Viotti remarked on the need to have a continued presence there, in order “to contribute to advancing peace and security and stability.”
“We believe that there needs to be a change in the governance in the Security Council,” Viotti said.
Just as the G-20 was established in response to the economic and financial crisis spawned in 2008, granting the G-4 – comprised of Brazil, India, Germany and Japan – permanent seats in the Security Council should stand as an answer to diversify the Security Council body, Viotti said.
“We believe it’s very necessary to include, in a more effective way, the participation of countries that can make contributions to peace and security, and would allow for positive developments in this,” she explained.
For now, though, Viotti addressed the immediate themes she expects to encounter in the Security Council, come January. Political activity in and surrounding Iran will prompt “major issues and discussions, of course,” she said.
The ambassador stressed support for “ongoing dialogue” between Iran and western nations.
“We believe this is the right approach, to try and bring Iran into the fold and try to deal with whatever doubts there are concerning Iran’s nuclear program in a way that will enhance supervision, monitoring, and enhance positive programs,” she explained.
She brushed past the possibility of future sanctions on Iran, saying that the real purpose is “to try and have agreements that would raise confidence in terms of relationships with them.”
Viotti said she expects the Security Council to focus on enabling stability in African nations, specifically Sudan and Somalia, in 2010, as well. Viotti also spoke of her nation’s particular desire to improve conditions in Haiti, “because Brazil is very active in peacekeeping forces there.”
“We have one of the largest peacekeeping contingents there, since 2004, so we have been very involved in the effort to bring peace to Haiti and this will be a big issue for us,” she said. “What we need is not only peacekeeping forces but also working on development, trying to bring employment opportunities to the population and revitalizing the economy. This is very important.”
Appointed Brazil’s UN envoy in 2007, Viotti has served three terms prior with the Permanent Mission; she says that as a woman, she has always found the U.N. environment welcoming and respectful. Two other female envoys, U.S. ambassador Susan Rice and Nigerian ambassador Joy Ogwu, will also now serve alongside her on the Security Council.
“When I came here there were 18 women permanent representatives, and now there are about 23,” Viotti said. “But the atmosphere here has always been of promoting gender equality and promoting women’s issues and so on, and I find that reflective of the main goals of the U.N.”
Brazil has similarly been making great strides in empowering its female population, said Viotti, while noting that there is still has room for improvement.
“It is not yet the ideal situation, but there has been major improvement, for instance, in the judiciary we have had a woman who is the president of the Supreme Court, and there are more women in high-level minister positions, and we even have a candidate for the presidency who is a lady [Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s Chief of Staff], who has the support of our present president.”
“Ten years ago, I don’t know if that could have been the case.”
Brazil has also met success in already meeting almost all of the MDGs, prior to the targeted goal of 2015 – the only exception is the need to halve the number of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, due to ongoing infrastructure projects.
“By 2015, I have no doubt this will also be achieved,” Viotti said.
