Western European and Others Group
Encyclopedia
UN Regional Groups
The member states of the United Nations are unofficially divided into five geopolitical regional groupings. What began as an informal means of sharing the distribution of posts for General Assembly committees has taken on a much more expansive role...
in the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
that act as voting bloc
Voting bloc
A voting bloc is a group of voters that are so motivated by a specific concern or group of concerns that it helps determine how they vote in elections. The divisions between voting blocs are known as cleavage...
s and negotiation forums. Regional voting blocs were formed in 1961 to encourage voting to various UN bodies from regional groups. Almost all members are in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, but the WEOG is unusual in that geography is not the sole defining factor; Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
is divided between the WEOG and the Eastern European Group
Eastern European Group
The Eastern European Group is one of the five unofficial Regional Groups in the United Nations that act as voting blocs and negotiation forums. Regional voting blocs were formed in 1961 to encourage voting to various UN bodies from regional groups...
, and the WEOG also contains Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, which are culturally and politically descended from Western European states but are located far away from them. The group also contains one observer, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(which can't vote but can put forward candidates for the General Assembly), and one temporary full member, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
(on a basis of "permanent renewal of temporary full membership").
There are 28 member states, as of 2007 (ratified again in 2010).
Western European permanent members, belonging to WEOG exclusively
Permanent Members belonging to WEOG not on an exclusive basis
participates fully in both WEOG and the Asian Group, but for electoral purposes is considered a member of WEOG only.Members belonging to WEOG exclusively, on a basis of renewal of temporary full membership
: In May 2000, Israel, though naturally a part of the Asian Group in geographical terms but with membership blocked by Arab countries, became a WEOG full member, on a temporary basis (subject to renewal), in WEOG's headquarters in the US, thereby enabling it to put forward candidates for election to various UN General Assembly bodies. In 2004, Israel obtained a permanent renewal to its membership (in WEOG's headquarters in US, while remaining an observer at the UN offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Rome and Vienna). On June 14, 2005, Dan GillermanDan Gillerman
Dan Gillerman was Israel's 13th Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He was appointed in July 2002 and assumed his post on January 1, 2003, serving through 2008.- Education :...
was elected to the position of Vice-President of the 60th UN General Assembly. The last Israeli to hold this position was UN envoy Abba Eban
Abba Eban
Abba Eban was an Israeli diplomat and politician.In his career he was Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister, Education Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and ambassador to the United States and to the United Nations...
in 1952. Israel's candidacy was put forward by the United Nations Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG). In this position, Gillerman played a central role during the initial negotiation stages of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
.
WEOG Observers
: Voluntarily chooses not to be a member, and attends meetings as an observer only. However, it's considered to be a member for putting forward candidates for electoral purposes in the United Nations General Assembly.Suggestions to re-arrange the group
In 2000, the first anniversary of NauruNauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
's UN membership in the Asian Group prompted a call by that country for a new Oceania regional grouping including Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
within the United Nations regional voting system.
WEOG and elections
Quotas for the five regional groups ensure that for most elections to UN bodies the number of seats available to members of the WEOG is set. For example, two of ten non-permanent seats of the Security Council are reserved for states from the Western European and Others Group. Similarly, 13 of ECOSOC's 54 members come from the WEOG.See also
- United Nations Regional Groups
- Eastern European GroupEastern European GroupThe Eastern European Group is one of the five unofficial Regional Groups in the United Nations that act as voting blocs and negotiation forums. Regional voting blocs were formed in 1961 to encourage voting to various UN bodies from regional groups...
- Israel, Palestine, and the United Nations
- List of members of the United Nations Security Council
- List of members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council
Official external links
- UN-HABITAT's Global Report on Human Settelments, 2007 (pp. 330, 335); PDF document at UN-HABITAT website.
- UNAIDS, The Governance Handbook, January 2010 (p. 29); PDF document at UN-AIDS website.
- Official list of regional groups (p. 2); PDF document at UN website.