US Foreign Policy Research Paper

Introduction

One of the most acute political issues that have arisen in the international arena in recent years is the issue of the inclusion of the four countries: India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany, as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. In fact, India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany have been pursuing permanent membership since the end of the 20-th century. Permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council provides an opportunity to participate in decision making process through voting (Melville et al., 2011).  Article 27 of the United Nations Charter claims that decisions of the Security Council on all matters, excluding procedural issues, are to be made by an affirmative vote of all members of the Security Council, including the concurring votes of the permanent members(Charter of the United Nations, Article 27). Today the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council include China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These member states can be viewed as great powers based on the results of the World War II, in which these states played a significant role, making considerable contributions to the war effort and to the victory over fascism. The permanent members are endowed with greater powers, such as the veto powers and the power of being officially recognized as nuclear-weapons states (Melville et al., 2011).

The major goal of this paper is to discuss the US foreign policy with regard to the issue of the inclusion of India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany as permanent members of the United Nations. Special attention will be paid to the analysis of the US foreign policy and the US attitude toward the US Security Council enlargement.

Definition of the term foreign policy

The term foreign policy stands for the general principles followed by the state to demonstrate and govern its reaction to the international environment. According to White, foreign policy is “government activity conducted with relationships between state and other actors, particularly other states, in the international system” (qtd. in Beach, 2012). The US foreign policy can be explained in terms of the established US principles and power. The United States is considered to be a major player in the global politics, and its foreign policy reflects the primary interests and values of the state. The US foreign policy stands for the actions, decisions, programs and strategies that guide the relations of American government with other countries of the world. Besides, “foreign policy is also a function of strategies behind these actions, such as official doctrines and policies formulated to achieve key national security interests”(Lantis, 2012, p. 1921).

The Overview of the US Foreign Policy with Regard to Permanent Membership on the United Nations Security Council

The US foreign policy with regard to permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council can be explained based on the key principles that reflect national security interests. According to the established goals of the US foreign policy, the USA should “build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community” (US Department of State, Official Website, 2015). The US foreign policy decisions are connected with current and historical political processes. For example, the main changes in the development of the US foreign policy were caused by the shift from military non-interventionism of the United States before and after World War I, to the increased growth of the state as the world’s greatest power and hegemony during and after World War II (Herring, 2008). The US foreign policy attitude toward China reflects the nature and meaning of American relations with this country.  It has been found that American relations with China are rather solid, but at the same time, complicated. The improved trade relations contribute to positive political attitudes, although there are some disagreements over economic issues, such as tariffs, currency exchange rates and Taiwan’s political status. Nevertheless, China is the permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since 1971, when the state has been recognized as a permanent member under the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 (Lei, 2014).

The inclusion of India as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council: analysis of the US attitude

The inclusion of India as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council is an issue of concern. The US foreign policy supports India’s position and the official inclusion of this state in permanent membership. It is known that “India has participated in 48 of the 69 UN peace-keeping missions. Having sent over 185,000 personnel, it is the largest overall troop contributor to UN peace operations” (Ians, 2015). India contributes to the mission of the United Nations and uses its foreign policy to meet the needs of the international community. India preserves its eligibility as a member state of the Council; therefore, India has a chance to become a permanent member and improve its status at the global level. President Obama considers India as one of the important partnerships of the 21st century. The US- India relationship is based on common values, such as the rule of law, democracy, and multiculturalism.  In addition, the US and India have a shared interest in fostering “global security, stability, and economic prosperity through trade, investment, and connectivity” (US Department of State, Official Website, 2015).

The inclusion of Brazil as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council: analysis of the US attitude

The inclusion of Brazil inn permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council is supported by many member states, including the United States. Brazil actively participates in various operations promoted by the United Nations. Brazil is considered to be one of the main contributors to peacekeeping operations conducted at the global level. Besides, economic relations between the United States and Brazil are stable. The USA applies effective mechanisms that help to facilitate the development of trade, investment, tourism, etc. Moreover, the USA and Brazil have a close ties because of the improved communication and negotiation in the fields of health, science, and innovation technology. The US foreign policy is targeted at enhancing economic relations with Brazil in the future. The two countries conducted over twenty official dialogues, including the “Global Partnership Dialogue, the Economic and Financial Dialogue, the Strategic Energy Dialogue, and the Defense Cooperation Dialogue” (US Department of State, Official Website, 2015).

The inclusion of Japan as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council: analysis of the US attitude

The US foreign policy is directed toward providing support to Japan’s permanent membership. The USA assesses Japan as one of the effective democracies and large economies of the world. According to recent report, “the USA-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of U.S. security interests in Asia and is fundamental to regional stability and prosperity”(US Department of State, Official Website, 2015). The USA values Japan’s involvement is activities aimed at enhancing stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Japan is focused on preservation political freedoms and human rights across the world and provides protection and support to democratic organizations. The United States does not provide any support in the field of development of Japan. According to researchers, “whether Japan can become a permanent member of the UN Security Council depends on the reformation of the UN Security Council as well as the development of Japan-USA alliance”(Teo & Rose, 2014, p. 203). However, the US foreign policy is aimed at supporting Japan’s bid for permanent membership.

The inclusion of Germany as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council: analysis of the US attitude

The inclusion of Germany as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council is supported by the United States. According to U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet, “the US policy toward Germany is to preserve and consolidate a close and vital relationship with Germany, not only as friends and trading partners, but also as allies sharing common institutions” (US Department of State, Official Website, 2015).  This fact means that the United States places emphasis on close links between two countries. The security and prosperity are two important components in the USA-Germany relations. Today special attention is placed on the role of bilateral political, economic, and security issues that require coordination of joint actions. Thus, the United States and Germany are involved in active cooperation in various fields, including trade, tourism, investments, employment, etc. (US Department of State, Official Website, 2015).

The Four Countries’ Prospect of Becoming Permanent Security Council Members

The four countries, namely India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany, have an intention to occupy a deserved place in the international community striving for peacekeeping, combating terrorism, tyranny, poverty, discrimination, intolerance, violence and oppression at the global level. It is necessary to provide accurate and comprehensive analysis of the four countries’ place in the international arena to give an accurate explanation of the four countries’ prospect of becoming permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Actually, these four countries: India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany, share the same interests with the United States in terms of aligning diplomacy and development assistance. India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany support those countries that foster democratic governance, use open economies, and contribute to their people in the fields of education and health care. The United States attitude toward the rise of emerging powers, such as China, India, and Brazil is positive because the USA is provided with new opportunities for active and productive partnership. Nevertheless, it may lead to the emergence of “potential challengers to the US influence and interests” (Council on Foreign Relations, 2015). It has been found that Japan and Germany are more closely aligned with the US policy in the issues regarding Iraq’s sanctions than Brazil and India that used to vote contrary to US preferences, demonstrating that close bilateral relations fail to be transferred into close cooperation in multilateral context (Council on Foreign Relations, 2015).

Conclusion

Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the US foreign policy is aimed at ensuring security at the global level. In the nearest future, it would be possible for the four countries to obtain the same status of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Each of these four states wants to become a great power and improve its positive in the international arena. The US foreign policy attitude toward India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany as permanent member of the United Nations Security Council is positive because these countries are adjusted to the basic UN strategy – to maintain international peace and security, combat terrorism, call for the disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, as well as chemical and biological weapons that lead to mass destruction. The US foreign policy is effective in demonstrating the US reaction to the possible changes in international environment. The US Security Council enlargement will help the USA and the four candidates for permanent membership to share common interests and improve bilateral relations.

 

References

Beach, D. (2012). Analyzing Foreign Policy. Palgrave Macmillan.

Charter of the United Nations, Article 27. Retrieved from:<http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter5.shtml>

Council on Foreign Relations. (2015). U.S. Foreign Policy Program. Retrieved from:<http://www.cfr.org/projects/world/us-foreign-policy-program/pr1110>

Herring, G. C. (2008). From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations Since 1776. Oxford University Press.

Ians, K. (2015). “United Nations and India: A pictorial journey through history ,” The Economic Times, 25 Oct, 2015. Retrieved from:<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/united-nations-and-india-a-pictorial-journey-through-history/articleshow/49525805.cms

Lantis, J. S. (2012).US Foreign Policy in Action: An Innovative Teaching Text. John Wiley & Sons.

Lei, X. (2014). “China as a Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council.” International Policy Analysis. Retrieved from:< http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/10740.pdf>

Melville, A., Polunin, Y., Ilyin, M. et al. (2011).Political Atlas of the Modern World. John Wiley & Sons.

Teo, V. & Rose, C. (2014).The United States between China and Japan. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

US Department of State, Official Website. (2015). U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. Retrieved from:< http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/index.htm>

 

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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