Japan to propose new resolution for Security Council bid News
Japan to propose new resolution for Security Council bid

[JURIST] Japan announced plans Thursday to revise the so-called G-4 plan [JURIST news archive] for expansion of the UN Security Council [official website] after the African Union rejected their previous proposal [JURIST report]. The new plan will be presented to the UN in September and is expected to add another non-permanent seat for an African country. The original plan added six permanent members to the Security Council including Japan, Germany, Brazil, and India along with two African nations, but the G-4 nations and the AU could not agree on the number of non-permanent seats to add. The US and China have vowed to use their veto power to block any Security Council expansion [JURIST report]. In an interview published Thursday in German newsweekly Die Zeit [official website, in German], former President Clinton stated his support for Security Council expansion [AFP report], saying that the body must be more representative of the world to tackle the complicated issues it faces. After a one-day summit in Tokyo, Central American countries vowed to support Japan's bid to become a permanent member [Kyodo News Agency report]. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.