A/70/PV.43 General Assembly

We are here today to address one of the most discussed issues within the United Nations and beyond in these past decades — that of the reform of the Security Council. Over the past 70 years, the world has undergone profound change. Challenges we face today in preserving international peace and security are increasingly complex and more numerous, informed by greater interconnectivity and a series of new and emerging threats. Those challenges require that the United Nations organ with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security be representative, credible, efficient and effective. The Organization on its seventieth anniversary requires that the Security Council be capable of fully fulfilling its mandate in line with the spirit of the United Nations Charter. In this context, the need for Security Council reform is unquestionable. At the 2005 World Summit, leaders expressed support for reform to “make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent and thus to further enhance its effectiveness and the legitimacy and implementation of its decisions” (resolution 60/1, para. 153). *1534211* 15-34211 (E) Ten years have passed since the World Summit and 50 years since the Security Council was last expanded to include additional non-permanent members. And during the general debate and in my bilateral meetings in September, I was reminded of just how important this topic continues to be for a large majority of the membership as leaders expressed their concern about the lack of progress and their hopes for the current negotiations. At the same time, I understand that discussions on this subject are sensitive and difficult and that there are different positions among the membership. I am keenly aware, therefore, that a matter of such importance requires a spirit of compromise from all. On 14 September, the General Assembly decided to immediately continue the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform at the seventieth session (see A/69/PV.104), and, as I have said on previous occasions, I intend to continue this process during my tenure based on the decisions of the General Assemblyat its sixty-ninth session. With this in mind, I moved last week to appoint Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, as the new Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations. I should like to thank Ambassador Lucas for taking up this important and difficult responsibility, and I call upon all Members to extend her their full support and cooperation. Ambassador Lucas succeeds Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, and I wish to thank Ambassador Rattray for his work in advancing intergovernmental negotiations during the sixty-ninth session, culminating in a text and its annex, which reflects the positions and proposals made by Member States. I am confident that the forthcoming intergovernmental negotiations will build on the momentum and the progress made during the sixty-ninth session, and I encourage all members to continue moving this reform process forward, pursuant to decision 69/560, in particular on the basis of the aforementioned text and annex circulated by my predecessor in his letter dated 31 July 2015. In this regard, it is critical that the negotiations avoid a mere repetition of previously stated positions, a dynamic that has characterized this process in the past. Instead, I encourage members to work with Ambassador Lucas to build on the progress made during last session’s intergovernmental negotiations and to advance text-based negotiations. Of course, the success or otherwise of this process rests firmly with the Member States, but it is my hope that today’s debate can serve as a useful foundation for further reform and can galvanize effective negotiations over the coming months. To conclude, let me wish all participants productive discussions today and throughout this session. I stand ready and available to provide whatever support is required to Ambassador Lucas and to all others as they seek to preserve the legitimacy of the Organization and to secure the effective functioning of one of its most important organs.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the African Union member States. I thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s debate on agenda item 121, on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters. I would like to thank and congratulate our colleague Ambassador Lucas for taking up the appointment of Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations. We are ready to work with her and look forward to hearing her ideas on how she intends to guide our work. I would also like to thank Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica and outgoing Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations, for the tremendous work and progress made during the sixty- ninth session, under the inspired leadership of President Sam Kutesa. At the outset I should like to reiterate Africa’s continued commitment to this very important item. We will work with all delegations and with you, Mr. President, and the new Chair to ensure that our deliberations, in accordance with General Assembly decision 62/557, are not only favourable to the Common African Position but also achieve our common objective. We were heartened during the Assembly’s general debate, when many Heads of State and Government reaffirmed the need to reform the Security Council in order to make it broadly representative, efficient and transparent and also to enhance its effectiveness, legitimacy and the implementation of its decisions. We remain committed to decision 62/557 and subsequent decisions. We hope that an acceptable outcome on the reform issue will be forthcoming during this session. We have continued to express our position in all previous intergovernmental negotiations meetings, including also populating the framework document that was circulated by the President of the sixty-ninth session on 31 July. Our participation in the current session of intergovernmental negotiations is firmly anchored on that platform. Going forward, the African Union Committee of Ten on Security Council Reform remains actively engaged in holding consultations with all member States, delegations and groups and remains open to new ideas and new initiatives on the question of reform of the Security Council. It is common knowledge that the Common African Position has gained momentum and continues to receive support in these deliberations for Africa’s legitimate claim for permanent membership in the Security Council, and to correct its under- representation in the non-permanent category. Our claim is based on an historical injustice, and we hope that it will be addressed without further delay. Further delay continues to perpetuate the injustice and also prevents Africa from taking its rightful place in the Security Council. There are several contentious elements on this issue of reform. One concerns the question of the veto. As we have said before and will continue to repeat, Africa’s preferred position is for the abolition of the veto, but if it continues to exist it must be extended to all new permanent members. We call for its abolition but are prepared to work with other delegations to see how there could be a possible limitation on the veto. We are of the view that the only solution that could be worthwhile on the question of Security Council reform is that which garners the widest possible acceptance, which will also allow a text to emerge and evolve during this session in an open, transparent, inclusive, balanced and comprehensive membership- driven manner. We are willing and able to work with all delegations to achieve this objective. On the question of whether the African position is a take-it-or-leave-it position, we prefer to reserve our comments on this issue in the format of formal negotiations, which we hope will commence soon. Any permanent seat that we are awarded, of course, will be held in accordance with the Charter. Our permanent seats and non-permanent seats will of course rotate as per the usual practice. At the appropriate time, Africa will select its candidates for the non-permanent seats in a manner of its choosing and will also, in keeping with the relevant Charter provisions, make that known to all. We call on and urge all delegations and interest groups to pledge themselves to a new commitment to action. In other words, let us build on the work and the achievements of the last session and move from there to real negotiations and, hopefully, to a conclusion that we can all live with. This session needs to build on the dramatic and unexpected progress made during the last session, as well as to increase the pace for more frank and lively debate on this issue. We feel that is the only way the necessary political will, will lead to the much-needed and much-delayed reform of the Security Council. The vision of our leaders at the 2005 World Summit has been much delayed, and we hope that with your help, Mr. President, we can all realize it in the not too distant future. The reform of the Security Council, as we all know, lies at the very core of the need to ensure that the United Nations remains at the heart of global governance and is also the key element in the maintenance of international peace and security. We wish to reiterate that the regrettable status quo continues to undermine the principles of equity, legitimacy, accountability and transparency in the work of the Security Council. It also undermines the Council’s effectiveness in its pursuit and stewardship of international peace and security. Therefore we affirm our commitment to the reform process and urge the membership as a matter of priority to move not only to correct the injustice done to Africa, but also to make sure that the Council is indeed truly reflective of the modern era we live in. Finally, we wish to assure you, Mr. President, of our continued support and constructive participation towards the early attainment of our common goal in reforming the Security Council. We assure all concerned that we will push and move for a truly interactive and productive session.

In today’s debate on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council, I have the honour to speak on behalf of the States members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). At the outset, Mr. President, CARICOM acknowledges your commitment to this issue, as demonstrated by the convening of today’s debate and your letter of 23 October, through which you announced the appointment of Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, as Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations. CARICOM has every confidence that with her vast experience, including as her country’s representative on the Security Council just recently, Ambassador Lucas will be able to add value to the process, building on the valuable work of the sixty-ninth session. CARICOM offers her its full support. In this connection, we take the opportunity to pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Sam Kutesa, for his tenacious leadership and commitment to this issue and for reinvigorating the intergovernmental negotiations on reform of the Security Council during the sixty-ninth session. We also express our sincere appreciation to Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, for his effective stewardship of the intergovernmental negotiations. His leadership and commitment have brought the process to an important stage and provided us with a workable negotiating text. Despite the acknowledged differences on this important subject, this seventieth session presents us, as States Members of the United Nations, with a fresh opportunity to advance the deliberations on reform of the Security Council. With the consensus adoption of decision 69/560, the General Assembly now has a mandate to move the process forward by building on the informal meetings held during the sixty-ninth session, as well as on the positions of and proposals by Member States as reflected in the text and its annex circulated by Mr. Kutesa via a letter of 31 July 2015. It is therefore our expectation that the set text will be the working basis of the next round of the intergovernmental negotiations, allowing for real give-and-take negotiations in which positions merge, gaps are narrowed and areas of commonalities are used as building blocks towards the common objective of a reformed Security Council. We anticipate in this process that further and new ideas and proposals may emerge to enrich our deliberations. For its part, CARICOM has remained steadfast in support of the reform of the Security Council over many years, including throughout the intergovernmental negotiations. Our delegations are committed to playing a constructive role in the process. CARICOM maintains a principled advocacy for expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership. The role and security of small States are key factors for CARICOM. In this context, we have proposed the inclusion of a special seat for small island developing States in the reformed Security Council. The region’s support for the inclusion of Africa and other developing countries in the permanent category of membership remains unwavering. With regard to the veto, CARICOM continues to call for the elimination of the veto. However, in the event of its retention, we consider that all permanent members of a reformed Security Council should have the same rights and prerogatives. In conclusion, let me assure you, Mr. President, of the full support of CARICOM delegations as you seek to advance the important cause of reform of the Security Council.

I have the honour to take the floor today on behalf of a diverse group of 42 developing countries from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific, who are united by a common cause  — to achieve lasting and comprehensive reform of the Security Council. Our group is bound by the firm conviction that expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the Security Council is imperative to better reflect contemporary world realities and achieve a more accountable, representative, transparent and, importantly, relevant Security Council. We would like to begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, on commencing this process in earnest in your letter of 23 October 2015. We welcome the appointment of Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, as Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations. We are confident that Ambassador Lucas will successfully steer the process forward pursuant to the Assembly’s consensus decision 69/560 of 14 September, which fundamentally set the Security Council reform process on a negotiation path based on the text and its annex circulated by then President of the General Assembly in his letter of 31 July 2015. As a leading pro-reform group, the L.69 was one of the first groups to request early commencement of text-based negotiations through the intergovernmental negotiations process. We are therefore extremely heartened to note the progress achieved in the previous round through a consultative, transparent and inclusive process which is now being carried forward in the Assembly’s seventieth session. It is also a significant step forward that all Member States unanimously adopted decision 69/560, which is substantive and calls for building upon the text of 31 July and its annex. It is therefore important in this next round of the intergovernmental negotiations that we commence the process from where we left off in the previous round. We are now eager to engage in the actual negotiations on this text in the same manner as we negotiate texts elsewhere in the United Nations. All of us are party to both the General Assembly rules of procedure and the specific General Assembly resolution regulating negotiations on Security Council reform. The L.69 group of developing countries would also like to place on record its appreciation to the outgoing Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations, Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, for having steered this process successfully, leading to the consensus decision adopted at the sixty-ninth session. In recent years, we have all asked the Chair to produce a negotiation text, but we have never got one. Finally, with the adoption of decision 69/560 we know that we have in place a text that is recognized undisputedly by the entire membership. Now, therefore, it becomes critical that we move further ahead with a results-based time line as an absolute imperative. The L.69 group is fully committed and will constructively engage in the intergovernmental negotiations process, building further on the Assembly President’s negotiation text of 31 July. The objective is to move forward decisively during the ongoing seventieth session. The commitment of the L.69 group is to engage in a process that would yield results. However, we wish to place on record that should this process not move forward with the negotiation text as referenced by decision 69/560, then we are prepared to look at other options that would yield the results desired by the vast majority of the United Nations membership. This seventieth anniversary of the United Nations is an important opportunity to show decisive progress and finally deliver a decision mandated by our Heads of State and Government at the 2005 World Summit: to achieve lasting reforms of the Security Council.

On behalf of the Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group, I wish to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this annual debate on Security Council reform and to warmly welcome the appointment of Ambassador Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg to her new, pivotal capacity. We are confident that she will be attentive to the needs and concerns of all Member States to facilitate our collective endeavour in the coming months. Allow me also to thank Ambassador Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica for his efforts during the past negotiating session. We believe that the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly can be seen as a step forward on our path towards reform in terms of active participation by an increasing number of Member States. Countries that in the past had been on the margins of the debate decided to engage and to spell out their positions on the future of the Security Council. In our view, this is a material legacy. Our debate needs to be more inclusive, just as the Council we are striving to reform. Similarly, we need full transparency. The intergovernmental negotiations are a membership- driven process, mandated by Assembly decision 62/557. We need predictability through a clear agenda, not arbitrary guidance. Member States should be facilitated in their work through timely information and extensive consultation. Each Member State, belonging to any negotiating group, has the right to be adequately informed about the procedure. The past has demonstrated that divisive approaches and initiatives complicate our process even further, distancing us from reaching our commonly shared goal of reform. The UfC group has been tirelessly advocating a deeper discussion of the principles on which the Council’s reform must be based. Clarifying how we conceive the reform is a crucial undertaking that would facilitate negotiations. Proof of this was given to us by the negotiations on the method of selection and appointment of the Secretary-General under last year’s annual resolution on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (resolution 69/321). The collectively shared principle of a more transparent selection process was spontaneously translated into some concrete measures. We knew with clarity where we were heading so we achieved most of the expected results in only one year of work. We have all been talking for years about the common goal of a more representative, democratic, accountable and effective Security Council, but do we really agree on the meaning of these principles? Let me give a concrete example. Exactly one week ago, most of us attended the launch of a code of conduct supported by more than 100 countries, aimed at limiting the use of the veto and preventing Council inaction, thus making it more effective in the face of heinous international crimes. However, today we will still hear voices in favour of adding new national permanent members, so new veto powers, all while pursuing the same goal of making the Council more effective. The Uniting for Consensus group has been very forthcoming in clarifying how we interpret the reform principles that I have just mentioned. The UfC has already tackled the issue, most recently last year at the general debate and throughout the entire work session. Today, as a further contribution to the debate on the objectives of reform and to give substance to it, I would like to touch on an increasingly recurrent issue: the request for a Security Council that is representative of the realities of the twenty-first century. That is certainly an important concept because it suggests that Security Council reform should be reflective of the changes that have occurred in the last 70 years. Let me summarize the three main changes that have taken place. First, in these 70 years not only has the number of Member States grown, but the relative weight of the different regional groups of the United Nations has also changed. That has led the membership to unanimously request an enlargement of the Council to favour areas that to date have been disadvantaged in the distribution of seats. The response of Uniting for Consensus to this first trend is unequivocal. We support an enlargement of the Council up to 26 members, assigning the majority of added seats to Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America. We also understand and heed the call of the Eastern European Group and of cross-cutting groups of States, such as small island developing States, small States and the Arab countries. Secondly, some Member States aspire to play a more prominent role in the Council. The UfC highly values the contribution that these States may offer to the maintenance of international peace and security. No one has asked them to forfeit their willingness to play a greater role in the Council. In fact, our proposal of longer-term seats with the possibility of immediate re-election was conceived precisely to meet these expectations. Let me clarify: these seats would not be reserved for a select group of countries. All Member States willing to make a bigger contribution to the work of the Security Council would have the right to run for a longer-term seat. Our proposal is democratic in nature. Thirdly, over the past 70 years we have experienced change at an incessantly faster pace in the international arena. The emergence of new regional actors and new global challenges imposes a modern vision for the Security Council, enhancing its flexibility not only in terms of operations, but also in terms of its very structure and representation. The reality of the twenty- first century is in continuous transformation, and a changing reality requires a Council able to adapt to it. We believe that regular elections are the best way to guarantee not only a truly democratic and accountable Security Council, but also a Council able to continually adapt to the rapid changes of today and tomorrow. That is what we mean by an inclusive Security Council. Let us offer to all Member States — especially small States and developing countries, which represent the majority of the membership — the opportunity to contribute more to the Council’s work. This goal can be achieved solely by ensuring a proper, fair and democratic system, through regular elections. That is what we mean by a Security Council in tune with the realities of the twenty-first century — a new, modern Council grounded on a profoundly democratic vision that carries within it inclusiveness and adaptability. That is the path towards the early reform that our leaders called for more than 10 years ago — a reform that can be attained with no further delay, building on the many already existing convergences among Member States; a comprehensive reform of the Security Council that can be concretely achieved by enlarging the Council with new elected members and by a more balanced and equitable representation of regional groups. Other areas that require our due attention.include an enhanced and closer relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly; and improved working methods of the Council, including the question of the veto are also This is also the path towards a consensual reform of the Security Council that, due to its paramount importance, must be endorsed by all Member States. The Uniting for Consensus group stands ready to cooperate with you, Sir, the new intergovernmental negotiations Chair, and the entire membership to advance this process in good faith and in mutual respect, being guided by our strong conviction that a truly democratic Security Council reform is possible and within reach.

I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of the Group of Arab States. I would like to convey to you, Mr. President, the support of the Arab Group in the work of the General Assembly at this session. I also wish to thank Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, for his work during the previous session. We welcome the appointment of Ms. Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg as Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform. We wish her every success and assure her of our full cooperation. The international community is seeing increasing changes. We need to step up our efforts to strengthen the role of the Security Council so that it will be more effective and able to meet its challenges, more representative, transparent, neutral and credible. The reform of the Security Council and equitable representation thereon is one of the crucial pillars of the overall reform of the United Nations. More than 20 years of discussions on expanding the Council and improving its working methods have seen many international and regional initiatives crop up, including those of the Arab Group. But now, seventy years after the establishment of the United Nations and with the change in international realities, it is extremely important to make progress in reforming the Council, in the context of the unanimity of Member States on the need for change. However, we must not seek a hasty solution on which there is no consensus, nor must we have a deadline that would block a comprehensive solution to reform. In this regard, we reaffirm our stance that intergovernmental negotiations are the only forum in which to achieve an agreement on expansion in line with Assembly decision 62/557. That is the basis for these negotiations, stipulating that they be owned by the Member States. Recent developments in intergovernmental negotiations have proved the need for greater clarity in the process of the negotiations so as to bolster confidence and avoid divisions among the Members of the United Nations. In our opinion, this requires efforts during this session to achieve an agreement on the principles and rules governing reform with respect to the five key issues set out in decision 62/557 so as to ensure clarity and transparency in the negotiations before we move on to substantial matters. We must bear in mind all proposals and positions put forward by Member States regarding the expansion and reform of the Council. That must take place with the agreement of Member States and groups of States that present their proposals. We are fully confident that these very clear points will guide Ambassador Lucas in her efforts as Chair of the negotiations during the seventieth session to achieve consensus on how to move forward. The Arab Group is aware of the importance of the five key issues of Security Council reform in the context of a global vision of a solution that would enjoy majority agreement. To this end, we draw attention to the role of the General Assembly, which has many roles to play at many different levels, including making recommendations to the Security Council on matters pertaining to international peace and security, pursuant to Article 11 of the Charter of the United Nations. There is therefore a need to bear in mind the complementary relationship between the General Assembly and the Security Council so as to guarantee a balance between these two bodies. We highlight the fact that the use by the Council’s five permanent members of their right of veto has on more than one occasion eroded the Council’s credibility and paralysed its decision-making ability. It has also prevented necessary measures being taken to promote and protect international peace and security. Furthermore, the Council’s procedures and working methods must be made more efficient and transparent. The position of the members of the League of Arab States on Security Council reform is to ask for permanent Arab representation on the Council, enjoying all prerogatives when the Security Council is expanded. We would ask for proportional representation for Arab States with respect to non-permanent membership. We must not set an artificial deadline that might hamper a global solution to the question of reform. We are willing to cooperate positively on this during the seventieth session of the General Assembly.

I have the honour to take the floor today on behalf of the Group of Four (G-4) to convey a two-fold message of gratefulness and urgency. First, I should like to express our gratitude to you, Mr. President, for your commitment to moving the process of Security Council reform forward during your term in office. We hope there will be substantial progress during this seventieth session, based on the legacy of former Assembly President Sam Kutesa and the former Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations, Courtenay Rattray, who led a transparent, inclusive and open process. Let me express our thanks and our explicit respect to Ambassador Rattray at this point. As for your efforts during the seventieth session, Mr. President, please be assured of our full support. As expressed in the many debates and events in recent weeks, there is growing support among the Members of the United Nations for a structural reform of the Security Council. At the same time, on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary, we hear growing criticism directed at the Council for being unable to take decisions concerning some of the most pressing situations in international security. As was pointed out during the open debate in the Security Council on 20 October (see S/PV.7539), improvement of the Council’s working methods is crucial. However, it cannot be a substitute for the urgently needed structural reform of the Council. We, the G-4, along with many more Member States, are convinced that a more representative, legitimate and effective Security Council is needed more than ever in order to address the global conflicts and crises that have multiplied in recent years. We share the view that this can be achieved only by reflecting the reality of the world in the twenty-first century, when more Member States have the capacity and willingness to take on the crucial responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. Inclusiveness is the key phrase, and here I direct my view to Africa first and foremost. The roll-over decision 69/560 of 14 September stipulates that the General Assembly must immediately continue intergovernmental negotiations based on the text presented by its President at the sixty-ninth session in his letter dated 31 July 2015. That was a veritable milestone for all those in favour of a more representative, more legitimate and more effective Security Council. Nearly 120 delegations contributed actively to the framework document that will serve as the vantage point for text-based negotiations during the upcoming round of the intergovernmental negotiations. We cannot afford to lose the newly gained momentum. Leadership of the process will be crucial during the stage that lies ahead during this seventieth session. We therefore commend you, Mr. President, for having appointed Ms. Sylvie Lucas as the new Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations to steer this process leading to a resolution reflecting the results of these negotiations. We are fully confident that Ambassador Lucas will advance the process and bring it to a successful conclusion accepted by the wide majority of Members. The past session of the General Assembly was procedural in nature with respect to the intergovernmental negotiations. Based on the results achieved during that session, we expect the intergovernmental negotiations to produce progress in substance under the new Chairperson during this seventieth session. In conclusion, let me also mention that we would welcome more continuity in the Chairperson’s office to ensure the smooth continuation of the intergovernmental negotiations process and to avoid the kind of undue disruption that we have witnessed recently.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Nordic countries: Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and my own country, Finland. First, let me commend you, Mr. President, for your commitment to this important topic. We firmly believe that it is possible to move forward in reforming the Security Council under your able leadership. Reform is long overdue. We have the responsibility to fulfil the promises made by our leaders at the World Summit 10 years ago. Allow me to congratulate Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, on her appointment as the new Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations. Let me assure her of the full support of the Nordic countries in the upcoming negotiations. We look forward to engaging in the process actively and constructively, based on decision 69/560. I should also like to pay tribute to Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, for leading the informal consultations during the sixty- ninth session and for his tireless efforts to push forward the complicated and sensitive quest of Security Council reform. We welcome the much-needed dynamic his stewardship brought to the process. We look forward to making tangible progress during this session of the General Assembly under your guidance, Sir. Let me underline that the Nordic countries will remain fully committed to Security Council reform in order to address better and more effectively the urgent global challenges of today and tomorrow.

First, I would like to welcome the appointment of Ambassador Sylvie Lucas as facilitator of the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform. We know that we can count on her dynamism and experience to make real progress towards far-reaching reform of the Council. France will fully support her to ensure that she is successful. General Assembly discussions on Security Council reform have gone on for almost two decades. We must recognize that we have not yet reached a conclusion on the matter. Nonetheless, with Ambassador Courtenay Rattray at its helm  — whose outstanding work and consultative and inclusive methods I commend — the work undertaken during the Assembly’s sixty-ninth session produced an initial outcome that was supported by the vast majority of Member States. France hopes that the outcome of this work will serve as a basis for the next cycle of intergovernmental negotiations, to be held during this session, in line with decision 69/560, which the Assembly adopted by consensus on 14 September. We now need to start negotiating a text as soon as possible on this basis. We are counting on the new facilitator to strive to that end. The seventieth anniversary of our Organization must serve as an opportunity for Member States to finally reach agreement on far-reaching reform. This is an historic opportunity to show that the United Nations is far from being fossilized and is able to reform itself. This reform is fundamental. The Security Council must better reflect the reality of today’s world. Its reform is crucial to bolstering the prestige and representativeness of our collective security system, while preserving its executive and decision-making nature. France’s position on this issue is well known. We want the Security Council to take into consideration the emergence of new Powers that have the resolve and ability to shoulder the responsibility of a permanent presence in the Security Council and that are, in line with the Charter of the United Nations, able to make an important contribution to the work of the Council. To that end, France supports the candidacies of Germany, Brazil, India and Japan as permanent members of the Security Council, as well as a reinforced presence of African countries as permanent and non-permanent members. In the same spirit of reform, France has proposed that the five permanent members of the Security Council voluntarily and collectively suspend the use of their veto in cases of mass atrocities. This voluntary step requires no revision of the Charter but a political commitment. France has already made that commitment. The President of the Republic clearly indicated it here in this Hall on 28 September (see A/70/PV.13). This is an extremely important decision on behalf of international security, peace and relegitimized and renewed multilateralism. This initiative, which we have put forward together with Mexico, is now supported by some 85 countries. Along the same lines, the code of conduct developed by the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group, which France supports, also enjoys very considerable support. Buoyed by this we positive trend, we hope that we will be able to persuade other Member States, in particular the other permanent members of the Council, to join with us. It is in the common interest of all Member States that the Security Council be able to carry out its mandate and play its full role, in particular when faced with situations of mass atrocities. These initiatives on the use of the right of veto are complementary to the global reform of the Council, which France will continue to advocate. It behoves us all collectively to assume our responsibilities to develop the status quo in the interests of the United Nations.

I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to offer some brief remarks on the topic of Security Council reform this year. First, I should like to thank Ambassador Rattray, who has steered the work in the intergovernmental negotiations in a skilful and effective way for the past year. He has shown the resolve and courage necessary to make even one step forward towards a real process of negotiation, in which we still do not find ourselves after several years. If we ever get to that point, Ambassador Rattray will have made a very important contribution to that. Secondly, I should like to thank Ambassador Lucas for taking on this role for the next session. We cannot think of a better person to lead the negotiations on Security Council reform for the future, and we pledge our full support to her. We have noted with concern over the past year the strong resistance among a small number of Members to any real progress in the intergovernmental negotiations, even though the process we were engaged in was fully transparent. We also note with concern the pressure exercised on the Chair in this respect, even though he led the work of the intergovernmental negotiations in a flawless manner. If that trend were to continue, we would probably have to question our ability and willingness to engage in these negotiations and consider alternative formats. It is our hope that this session will allow us, under the leadership of Ambassador Lucas, to focus on the substance of the issues under the strong leadership of the Chair, as is customary in this building. As is well known, in our national capacity we made an expansion proposal a number of years ago. Liechtenstein proposed the creation of a new category of seats that would be long-term — for example, 10 years — and immediately renewable and would thereby allow States to serve permanently on the Security Council if the membership mandated them to do so. The proposal obviously would not lead to the creation of any new veto rights and would be subject to a mandatory review of all aspects of Security Council reform after a defined period of time. It is well known that my delegation is very strongly committed to the improvement of the working methods of the Security Council. We believe that this is an indispensable part of Security Council reform. There are obvious changes that would need to be made in the Council’s working methods if and when it is enlarged under any enlargement model. Very obvious areas are the majority required for adoption of a resolution in the Council, as well as the Council presidency and its distribution in such a way that each State gets to serve in this capacity at least once during its Security Council term. In the meantime, as has been the case over the past 20 years, we look to the Security Council to change its working methods in its current composition. It is against that background that we were very happy on Friday to launch the code of conduct on voting in the Security Council on behalf of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group. The code of conduct, now supported by 106 States, is a pledge to take meaningful action in the Security Council to end and prevent atrocity crimes and to not vote against any meaningful, credible proposals submitted to that end. We are very grateful to all States that have pledged their support for the code of conduct. We ask all States to equally give their support to the political declaration proposed by France and we look forward to have additional States joining the code of conduct.

The Chinese delegation thanks you, Mr. President, for convening today’s meeting. We welcome your appointment of Ambassador Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, as Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform. We encourage her to be objective and fair in her work, in accordance with the mandate of resolution 62/557, to build bridges among Member States, and to help all Member States to narrow their differences and make compromises on the issue of Council reform. Security Council reform bears on the common interests of all Member States and the long-term interests of the United Nations. China has always actively supported reasonable and necessary reform of the Council aimed at enhancing its efficiency and authority, increasing the representation of and giving a stronger voice to the developing countries, especially African countries, and affording more opportunities to more countries, especially the small and medium- sized countries that account for the majority of the membership to participate in the decisions of the Security Council and play a greater role. In accordance with decision 62/557 and the consensus of Member States, the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform should be led by the Member States. China hopes that the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform at the current session of the General Assembly will turn over a new page, return to the correct, membership-driven track, and build on the positions taken, the proposals and suggestions put forward and the efforts made by all countries since the launch of the negotiations in 2009. We hope that Member States will continue to participate constructively in the intergovernmental negotiations, seek a package solution through extensive and democratic consultations, and reach the broadest possible consensus. No artificial deadline should be set for reform, and no immature reform proposals should be forcibly promoted. China would like to work jointly with all countries to advance Council reform in a direction that conforms to the common interests of all Member States and the long-term interests of the United Nations.

As we celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations this year, it is a good opportunity to remind ourselves that the United Nations can only be as strong and as effective as Member States want and make it to be. The reform of the Security Council is no exception. It can be possible only if Member States are willing to be more flexible and are prepared to engage in negotiations that are constructive, pragmatic and results-oriented. The decision made at the last round of the intergovernmental negotiations was a significant step in our collective efforts. The process leading up to it provided us with an opportunity to exchange views in an interactive, inclusive and transparent manner. I take this opportunity to express our appreciation to Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, for his hard work and dedication throughout the last round of the intergovernmental negotiations. We also welcome the appointment of Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, as the next Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations and wish her success in this very important responsibility. In this regard, allow me to share the following views in this debate. First, Thailand belongs to no specific group and has always been open to all ideas and proposals on the expansion of membership of the Security Council, including the expansion of both categories or the introduction of interim or intermediate options. However, settling only the issue of expansion of membership is far from adequate if the overall reform process is to be successful. Any expansion must take into account a greater and more equitable regional representation. Most importantly, it must prove to be useful in enhancing the Council’s efficiency and effectiveness. Secondly, Thailand firmly believes that improvement in the working methods of the Security Council is necessary for a more transparent and effective Council. Improving the working methods should be a continuing process and should not be held hostage to the overall reform of the Council. We welcome the Council’s ongoing efforts to convene open debates and engage in informative discussions on this subject. On this note, we also welcome the ongoing efforts to strengthen the closer coordination and collaboration between the Council and the General Assembly, two principal organs of the United Nations, in accordance with their respective mandates, through the institutionalization of regular consultations between the Presidents of the two bodies. Interaction helps to ensure transparency in the deliberations of the Council. Thailand believes that the Council can be transparent only if it is accessible. In this regard, we urge members of the Council to continue to engage the wider membership of the United Nations, particularly on issues with broader impact and complexity. Thirdly, we firmly believe that the principle of accountability should guide the work of the Council’s members, permanent and elected alike. The world needs a Council that can act together in a decisive, responsible and timely manner to stop genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. Countries on the Security Council, especially the permanent members, have a heavy responsibility to humankind. They must therefore demonstrate greater leadership and political will to take decisive action against such vast scale humanitarian catastrophes resulting from conflicts. For this reason, Thailand supports the two initiatives that are on the table: the suspension of the veto in case of mass atrocities, put forward by France and Mexico, and the code of conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, put forward by the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group. We have come a long way since 1946, when there were only 11 members on the Security Council. We must take this opportunity to ensure that the important work of the intergovernmental negotiations continues by building on the work done at the last session in a consultative manner, while aiming at taking on board the broadest participation possible. We look forward to participating in a constructive, substantive discussion on the way forward for greater representation on and greater credibility, legitimacy and, above all, effectiveness of the Security Council, and in the hope of seeing a clearer basis for the future progress of our work.

The time has undoubtedly come for Security Council reform. The question is how to implement it so that it strengthens not only the Council itself but the Organization as a whole. It is important to strive for a final outcome that will truly help to strengthen the position of developing States, which we support, and not entrench current positions. We congratulate the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, Sylvie Lucas, on her appointment as coordinator of the intergovernmental negotiations. We trust that her work will help to establish a constructive atmosphere for negotiations in order to find a mutually acceptable solution. We thank the Permanent Representative Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica for his work in that post at the previous session of the General Assembly. We also wish to highlight the work of the former Permanent Representative of Afghanistan Zahir Tanin in that job over many years. Russia recognizes the need to make the Security Council more representative. However, efforts in this area should not have an impact on the Council’s ability to react swiftly and effectively to contemporary challenges. In this context, we are in favour of retaining the compact character of the Council’s composition. The optimal number of members of the Security Council should not exceed 20. That would guarantee for non-permanent members an opportunityto preside over the Council. It would be naïve to claim that the reformed and expanded Council would easily find solutions to the problems that the present Council has failed to address. Political contradictions would not simply disappear, while the work on the texts of decisions would only be further complicated. We are not going to hide the fact that any idea tending to undermine the existing prerogatives of the permanent members, including the right of veto, is unacceptable to us. We recall that this right is an important factor that helps members of the Council to strike balanced decisions. It is also important to understand that the right of veto protects not only the interests of those who enjoy it, but also the interests of the countries of a region that do not have the right of veto but in its absence would be vulnerable to pressure from well-known groups of States. During 11 rounds of intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform, Member States have managed to achieve something. Many aspects of the problem have become clearer. However, a universal decision that would be satisfactory to everybody has not yet appeared. We fully support the idea that the process of Security Council reform should be owned by every single Member State and that its final outcome should be supported as broadly as possible by Members of the Organization. We are convinced that Security Council reform cannot be concluded arithmetically by calculating different models of votes in order to seek the minimal number of votes. A result achieved that way would undoubtedly undermine the authority of the Council and would not strengthen the United Nations. Rather, it would do the opposite. We are therefore prepared to consider any sensible option for expanding the Council, including interim provisions and compromise solutions, if it were to enjoy the broadest possible support within the United Nations. Furthermore, the negotiations have revealed the prevalence of sometimes diametrically opposed opinions. We therefore see no alternative at this session of the General Assembly than to work carefully to bring positions closer together. We trust that the efforts of the President of the General Assembly and the negotiations facilitator will help to achieve optimal agreement in the negotiations, on the understanding that the ownership of the process remains with the Member States. This work should take place in a calm, transparent and inclusive environment without arbitrarily imposed deadlines or frenzied speculation. The matter of reforming any institution, let alone the most important, should not complicate the real work of our Organization, finding responses to the numerous challenges facing humanity today. Let us not forget the most important thing. Progress in reforming the Security Council depends on the political resolve and readiness of Member States to find a sensible compromise, and on that alone. In that regard. methodology is a secondary issue.

My delegation aligns itself with the statements made earlier by the Permanent Representative of Saint Lucia on behalf of the L.69 group and the Permanent Representative of Germany on behalf of the Group of Four. At the outset, allow me to compliment you, Mr. President, on convening this important debate under agenda item 121, which has been a matter of discussion in the General Assembly for more than two decades, and ever since my country joined other developing countries in September 1992 in submitting resolution 47/62. We note the significance of decision 69/560, of 14 September 2015, which was adopted unanimously under the presidency of your predecessor, Mr. Sam Kutesa. That has given us a negotiating text for implementing the mandate our leaders adopted at the World Summit of 2005 for early reforms of the Security Council. We would like to acknowledge and compliment Ambassador Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica for having successfully given our intergovernmental negotiations process the negotiating text of 31 July. We are happy, Sir, to have received your letter of 23 October informing us of your decision to appoint a new chairperson for these negotiations during this historic seventieth session and for providing her with a clear mandate to conduct these negotiations on the basis of the text of 31 July, which was, we note, unanimously endorsed in decision 69/560. We are happy to share with the General Assembly the common position adopted yesterday at the third India-Africa Forum Summit for early implementation of decision 69/560 so as to make a decisive push for achieving concrete outcomes on the reforms of the Security Council. We commit ourselves at this meeting — which is the first time we are speaking on this issue at this session — to work in good faith through the give and take of negotiations with the Chairperson to reach our common objective of concrete outcomes during this session of the General Assembly. We especially look forward to engaging with Member States that have expressed important views this morning but have yet to contribute to the 31 July text in this context. We would of course expect to apply the provisions of resolution 53/30, of 23 November 1998, which we unanimously adopted and which sets a benchmark of a two thirds majority for taking decisions on this important issue. We note that an ineffective Security Council has entailed huge human, economic and environmental costs in terms of wars and conflicts, which the international community cannot justify any longer. The figures speak for themselves, but today we would like to highlight especially the more than 60 million people affected by these conflicts, which are due to the malfunctioning of the Security Council. Given that most of these conflicts are occurring in areas consisting of developing countries, we believe that a greater representation of developing countries in both categories of an expanded Security Council would help to address this problem urgently. We would emphasize that our work cannot be seen in isolation. The very fact that our leaders unanimously adopted the most ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1) to eradicate poverty from the face of the Earth within our generation gives our work a context and framework. The longer we delay in reforming the Security Council, the more pressure we put on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, especially for developing countries. We have two specific requests related to the process to make for consideration today. First, we would request the announcement of a fixed schedule of meetings of the intergovernmental negotiations, beginning from early next month, at a regular interval, to commence text-based negotiations. All Member States should be informed in advance of the frequency, agenda and schedule of these meetings. They should be, in our view, held at least once a week, given the urgency of the subject. Secondly, we look forward to the circulation of a communication, under your authority, Mr. President, from the newly appointed Chairperson of the intergovernmental negotiations, conveying the agenda of each of these sessions of the seventieth session, which would of course be based on the decision taken by the General Assembly earlier on the five clusters. This will help delegations obtain their updated negotiating mandates for the listed areas of negotiations in good time. In conclusion, I should like to reiterate what my Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, said in his statement to this Assembly last month: “We must also reform the United Nations, including the Security Council. That is essential if we are to ensure that our institutions have greater credibility and legitimacy. With a more broad- based representation, we can be more effective in achieving our goals.” (A/70/PV.4, p. 18)

I pay tribute to the work of your predecessor, Mr. President, and that of Ambassador Rattray over the past year. They brought much-needed energy and innovation to a debate which has been dormant for too long. We know that you and Ambassador Lucas will approach reform of the Security Council with the same vigour. You can count on the support of the United Kingdom in your efforts, and I encourage all Member States to join us and give you their backing. As my Foreign Secretary made clear when he addressed the General Assembly in September (see A/70/PV.18), the United Nations needs a reformed Security Council. Earlier this week, we celebrated the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations. In this milestone year, we owe it to ourselves to make much- needed progress in reforming the Security Council. We need a Council which is representative of today’s world and able to respond effectively to the challenges that we face. The compilation text compiled by Ambassador Rattray is a good start, and we look forward to building on that work in the year ahead. The United Kingdom’s own position on Security Council reform is clear. We support permanent representation for Brazil, India, Germany and Japan and permanent African representation. When considering the overall size of a reformed Council we must not reduce the Council’s ability to act decisively when called upon to address threats to international peace and security. The United Kingdom will continue to advocate for reform from within the Security Council so that it remains fit for purpose in the twenty-first century. We are proud to have been the first permanent member of the Council to sign up to the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group’s code of conduct for the Security Council. In doing so, we have sent a clear message: the United Kingdom will never vote against a credible Security Council draft resolution that seeks to prevent or respond to genocide, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and war crimes. I hope all Security Council members, both present and future, will join us in making that pledge. Next week the United Kingdom will assume the presidency of the Security Council. We will discharge our responsibilities in a transparent and efficient manner so that Council meetings are as open, interactive and effective as possible. We will be ready to respond quickly to emerging or developing situations so that the Council is, and is seen to be, discharging its responsibilities efficiently and effectively. I wish you, Sir, and Ambassador Lucas and all of us every success in the year ahead.

It is indeed appropriate for us to meet early in this new session of the General Assembly to discuss the important issue of Security Council reform. My delegation welcomes the chance to continue this essential discussion with the membership. We warmly welcome the appointment of Ambassador Sylvie Lucas as Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations. We also wish to thank Ambassador Courtenay Rattray for his strong leadership during his tenure. I hope that you, Mr. President, and the Chair, as well as the wider membership here today, know that the United States is committed to working with other Members to achieve broad consensus on a reformed Council, a Council that reflects the realities of the twenty-first century. As we have said before, the United States is open to a modest expansion, in principle, in both permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council. We do not support changes to the veto. We consider the intergovernmental negotiations to be the best forum for advancing discussion on Security Council reform. We believe that any approach to this issue should enhance the Council’s effectiveness and efficiency in carrying out the responsibilities conferred upon it under the Charter of the United Nations. Council membership carries great responsibility. Thus we believe that any consideration of an expansion of permanent members must take into account the ability and willingness of countries to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security and to other purposes of the United Nations. We look to engage with fellow Member States on an intergovernmental negotiations process that is deliberate and inclusive, given the importance of Security Council reform, the complexity of the issues and the divergence of views among Member States. For any reform to be successful, it is crucial that proposals enjoy broad support among all Member States. We note that some Member States have called for the start of text-based negotiations. The United States is neutral on all manner of negotiation within the intergovernmental negotiations framework as long as it furthers the broad consensus that is needed to reach comprehensive international agreement on Council reform. We are cognizant of the fact that differences of opinion remain on the text on which negotiations would be based and that not all Member States have endorsed a common approach. The intergovernmental negotiations Chair can certainly help steer this process, but general agreement on a common approach is crucial. We believe the intergovernmental negotiations to be the best forum for finding a comprehensive solution that can generate the broadest support among Member States. We pledge our support to Ambassador Lucas and to all Member States that seek constructive engagement on Council reform.

I want to congratulate you, Mr. President, on the appointment of Ambassador Lucas as Chair of the Security Council reform intergovernmental negotiations. I take this opportunity to thank Ambassador Rattray for last year’s contribution to this process. I am happy Ambassador Lucas, Permanent Representative of a small State, has been selected for this important task. As is known, small States like San Marino rely heavily on the United Nations and its values. One of our greatest privileges is the right to vote, in particular for the elected members of the Security Council. The Council, at the core of the United Nations system, needs to become more democratic, accountable and efficient. That is why San Marino seeks an enlarged —with elected members only — and geographically balanced Council. I am sure that under Ambassador Lucas’s stewardship the Council reform process will be predictable and transparent and involve great interaction among the Member States. I hope that at the end of this new round of negotiations we will reach a compromise solution among all Member States, from the five permanent members to a small country like ours. I am afraid that there will be a terrible mistake if this attempt brings us to a divisive vote. An issue of this importance needs to find a solution with the consensus of a very large majority. This process requires standard diplomatic skills. I am pleased Ambassador Lucas has already shown a great ability in past negotiations.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important debate. My delegation would also like to congratulate Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, on her appointment as Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations at the seventieth session. My delegation notes that over the years, including at the previous session of the General Assembly, Member States continued to reaffirm their common desire and aspiration for reforming the Security Council to make it more inclusive, representative, legitimate, accountable and effective. Yet strong divergence persists on how to achieve the reform, and that has meant that this process has hardly made meaningful progress up to today. Recently, during the high-level segment of thof the General Assembly, the majority of leaders reiterated their call for Security Council reform. My delegation believes that to be testament to a growing, urgent need for the Assembly to pursue tangible results in this regard. My delegation recognizes that some aspects of Security Council reform are being addressed in parallel to and outside the intergovernmental negotiations process. Just recently, more than 100 countries — the majority of the entire membership of the United Nations — joined ranks to propose a code of conduct aimed at limiting the use of the veto and preventing the Council’s inaction, and at making it more effective in the face of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Similarly, no fewer than 80 countries have extended their support to a political declaration with a similar purpose, namely, to restrain the veto in situations of mass atrocities. In the same vein, a step forward was recently taken in pushing the Security Council to increase closer cooperation with the General Assembly, in particular in the process of the selection and appointment of the next Secretary-General. My delegation is indeed encouraged by this positive development. In the light of those current developments on the issue at hand, my delegation is of the view that there are pertinent lessons that can be drawn from, and can serve as a catalyst for, our common undertaking in the Security Council reform process. First, political commitment at the highest level from Member States is important to sustain and further advance this process. This process should also continue to be motivated and inspired by the expression of commitment and determination made in various forums outside the United Nations. Secondly, progress can be made in an incremental manner, as attested to on issues such as the use of the veto right. The same approach can also be applied to pursue progress on other aspects of Security Council reform, including on the issue of membership expansion, categories and size. While recognizing the validity of different arguments and positions for pursuing expansion in the membership of the Council, my delegation maintains its view that an incremental approach is the most feasible way to make progress on the issue. A number of countries have proposed models for membership expansion. Along with other reform issues, my delegation is willing to explore them with an open mind in the coming sessions. My delegation believes that this is in accordance with what our leaders called for more than 10 years ago, an early and comprehensive reform of the Council that can be concretely achieved by enlarging the Council with new elected members, and addressing the issue of balance and equitable representation of different regional groups. Thirdly, different tracks should be maintained and pursued in a synergized manner while at the same time ensuring that the intergovernmental negotiations process remains the main deliberative mechanism on the issue of Security Council reform. My delegation values the various ideas and initiatives that have been developed by Member States in order to make progress on specific aspects of Security Council reform, and is ready to continue its engagement in a constructive manner. My delegation also puts great emphasis on efforts to improve the working methods of the Council with the purpose of enhancing its effectiveness, efficiency and accountability. In that connection, my delegation highly values the recent Security Council open debate on working methods (see S/PV.7539). To ensure that the Security Council is fully enabled to perform its responsibilities — and its actions are owned by the wider Member States — my delegation believes that robust cooperation, communication, and genuine consultation with and support from all Member States are crucial. Lastly, my delegation reaffirms its view that the issue of Security Council reform is not an isolated agenda. Instead, it is linked with other United Nations reform agendas, in particular the revitalization of the General Assembly. The outcome of this reform will have great impact on the continued relevance and legitimacy of the United Nations in general before the global community. A number of unresolved conflicts and tensions in some parts of the world signify its shortcomings, which further undermines its recognized competence. Palestine and Syria are two glaring cases where a persistent lack of action by the Council has worsened the conditions of the people and made the conflicts more intractable. It is my delegation’s firm belief that we are now at a critical juncture where we have to act and mobilize a stronger common purpose for real change in the Council.

Let me, at the outset, say how pleased my delegation is to see you, Mr. President, presiding over the General Assembly during this landmark seventieth year of the United Nations. You can count on my country’s support in fulfilling your responsibilities. Pakistan fully associates itself with the statement delivered earlier by the representative of Italy on behalf of the Uniting for Consensus group. I would also like to congratulate Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, on her appointment as the new Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations. Pakistan assures her of its full cooperation. Assembly decision 62/557 provides the mandate for the intergovernmental negotiations process. The goal set was to achieve comprehensive reform of the Security Council on five equally important and interlinked issues and to seek a solution that could enjoy the widest possible political acceptance. Success has eluded us thus far because the focus has been on looking for procedural shortcuts rather than on genuine efforts to bridge divergent positions on substance. We can all agree that compromise and flexibility are the keys to successful outcomes in multilateral negotiations. In evaluating the lack of progress on Security Council reform, we have to acknowledge that the absence of flexibility and compromise is at the root of the impasse we face today. A few countries have sought to promote their self- arrogated right to a privileged and unequal status, and they have maintained that rigid position since the process began, about two decades ago. It is that rigidity that is the real reason for our persistent failure to achieve a more democratic, accountable, transparent and effective Security Council. For its part, the Uniting for Consensus group twice revised its proposal, and it remains ready to engage in further dialogue. There is now a great deal of history to these negotiations. But those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. Two important lessons should be kept in mind. First, quick fixes and procedural manoeuvres have always come to nought, and secondly, no agreements are to be found at the extreme ends of political positions. An honest appraisal of those facts will mark the first meaningful step towards reform of the Security Council. The intergovernmental negotiations are a membership-driven process. The basis is the proposals and positions of Member States and negotiating groups. This process needs to be facilitated in good faith and in an open, transparent, predictable and inclusive manner, thus creating an environment that preserves mutual respect among Member States. Let me outline the basic precepts of our position on the substance of Security Council reform. Pakistan opposes the creation of new permanent seats, as it is contrary to the universally agreed principles of our time — democracy, accountability and transparency. The Security Council needs to be expanded in the category of elected seats, allowing more representation from Member States. This has become necessary in view of the increase in United Nations membership since the Council was last expanded, five decades ago. Our goal is the democratization of the Council through a reform that promotes the interests and aspirations of all Member States — small, medium- sized and large. Additional elected members in the Council will also have a positive impact on the Council’s accountability, transparency and working methods. More elected members will enhance regional representation and ownership, rendering the Council more legitimate. It is often said that the Security Council needs to be adapted to the realities of the twenty-first century to enhance the Council’s legitimacy and representativeness. We agree, but some countries ignore what the objective realities really are. They focus only on their narrow and contentious interpretation of political realities. That, if I may say so, is an illusion, and there are strong arguments against such an approach. First, States making that claim must know that many medium-sized States compete with them in any criteria of qualification, and may even surpass or outpace them in the future. Secondly, there is no evidence to support the argument that more permanent seats will enhance the legitimacy of the Council. To argue that more permanent seats will enhance the representativeness of the Council is disingenuous for reasons I have already cited. Thirdly, we need to carefully and soberly think whether permanence is a solution to present-day political realities that are themselves transient. If the past has changed into the present, will the present not be sure to change into the future? Will we then be looking to continuously add more permanent members to the Security Council? Fourthly, and most important, the objective realities are in fact quite different. It is a fact that United Nations membership has increased almost fourfold since its inception. It is a fact that more than one third of the United Nations membership has never had an opportunity to serve on the Council. It is also a fact that all Member States want the Council to be more democratic and accountable. But more permanent seats are the antithesis of all those objective realities. Pakistan distinguishes between the demands motivated by selfish ambitions and the collective demand of an entire continent. In that regard, we have always respected and continue to respect the African Common Position. Let me reiterate that only flexibility and compromise will take us closer to our goal. Fixed positions will stall and hobble our efforts. Had there been flexibility on the part of the delegations that have unjustifiably insisted on securing permanent seats, many Member States would already have played a positive role in the Security Council. Together we would have contributed to international peace and security. A week ago we celebrated the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations. The celebration was essentially and fundamentally about the Charter of the United Nations, which we all subscribe to and which lays strong emphasis on democracy and accountability. We all pledged to respect and to promote it. We hope that this pledge will translate into action and will yield progress towards a reform of the Security Council that is rooted in the principles enshrined in the Charter.

Let me thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important meeting. I start by saying that we align ourselves with the statement delivered by Ambassador Harald Braun, Permanent Representative of Germany, on behalf of the Group of Four, and with the intervention of Ambassador Menissa Rambally, Permanent Representative of Saint Lucia on behalf of the L.69 group. I want to welcome the appointment of Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, as Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations. Brazil pledges its full support to Ambassador Lucas and her team in this endeavour. As reflected in Assembly decision 69/560, adopted by consensus in September, and as highlighted in your letter, Mr. President, of 23 October, our work in the upcoming months should build upon the important progress achieved during the latest round of the intergovernmental negotiations, especially on the framework document prepared by Ambassador Courtenay Rattray. Now that we finally have a text on the table, it is time for us to move into concrete negotiations. I wish to take this opportunity to thank Ambassador Rattray for his bold stewardship and his strong commitment to a transparent and inclusive process. As the United Nations turns 70, the Organization has demonstrated a capacity to rise to challenges in a variety of areas. The United Nations system has recently succeeded in adopting an ambitious, forward-looking agenda, with significant potential for impact over the coming years and decades. Such is the nature of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1), an extraordinary achievement that reflects a common vision for international cooperation on the intersection of economic, social and environmental concerns. In the human rights pillar, progress has been further consolidated in the past years with the establishment of the universal periodic review process, which allows for the human rights records of all Member States to be reviewed and assessed. The three reports that are currently being considered by the United Nations membership — produced by the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (see A/70/95), the Advisory Group of Experts on the Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture (see A/69/968) and the authors of the global study on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) — represent a solid foundation to underpin our discussions on the review of the policies and practices of the Organization concerning international peace and security. Notwithstanding those important discussions, we will not be able to address the Organization’s growing credibility gap on matters related to peace and security if we do not adapt the anachronistic structure and dynamics of the Security Council to the geopolitical realities of the twenty-first century. There is an emerging consensus that the United Nations needs to update its governance mechanisms and establish a renewed commitment to searching for solutions through more effective cooperative efforts in the field of promoting peace and security. At a time when we face the largest refugee crisis since the Second World War and the number of civilian victims of armed conflicts worldwide continues to increase, we cannot afford to allow the Security Council to have its authority eroded, bringing discredit on the entire United Nations. If our goal is to have a more functional Security Council, perpetuating the geopolitical status quo by an expansion restricted to the non-permanent category is not an option. Brazil firmly believes that the only way to ensure a more efficient and democratic Security Council is through an expansion that includes new permanent members. Let us recall that there are entire regions of the world that are absent from the permanent member category, Africa being a case in point, as well as Latin America and the Caribbean. Last Saturday, we celebrated 70 years of the entering into force of the Charter of the United Nations. When the Charter was signed, in 1945, the Organization had 51 Member States and the Security Council was composed of 11 members — five permanent and six non-permanent. By the early 1960s, the United Nations membership had doubled to around 115 members, so an expansion of the Council was envisaged and arduously won, leading to the inclusion of four additional non-permanent seats. Today the United Nations is composed of 193 Member States, while the Security Council continues to function under the same format, with the permanent membership category never having been altered. That is to say, the Council still reflects a mid-twentieth century diplomatic environment even as we enter the second half of the second decade of the twenty-first century. If we are to establish a renewed international compact to deal with peace and security through international law and multilateralism, we cannot forego our responsibility in dealing with this matter. The alternatives are too dramatic to contemplate. There is no longer any justification for evading this challenge, especially when other daunting tasks before the international community are being dealt with multilaterally. This was, as I mentioned, the case with the 2030 Agenda, but it will also be, I am confident, the case with the climate change negotiations. Those are truly complex agendas. Our task is comparatively simple. The President and Ambassador Lucas can help Member States make it happen during the seventieth session of the General Assembly.

At the outset, I wish to express my appreciation to the President for the interest he is showing on the issue of reforming the Security Council, in close collaboration with all States Members of the United Nations. We warmly congratulate Ambassador Sylvie Lucas on her appointment to her important position. She can count on Spain’s full support. I should also like to express our appreciation to her predecessor, Ambassador Rattray, for his work during his mandate. We fully endorse the statement delivered earlier by the Permanent Representative of Italy on behalf of the Uniting for Consensus group. I should like to make some additional comments. After working for a long time on the process of reforming the Security Council, my delegation has learned that our strength comes from unity, whereas divisive approaches and actions only lead to delays and further complications. The States Members of the United Nations share the goal of a more representative, accountable, effective and democratic Security Council. If we are to achieve that goal, then we must stand ready to consider new ideas and build bridges between the various groups and positions. I address Ambassador Lucas to say that achieving that objective requires of us a totally transparent and inclusive process based on broad-based consultations and ensuring a constant exchange of information, without unjustified haste or artificial deadlines. We have every confidence in her experience and ability to successfully fulfil this task. We are eager to see a modern version of the Security Council that is more representative and influential, where we see a reflection of the changes that have taken place in recent years and the ability to adapt itself to future changes. We especially want to see a Council where small States and African countries also can make their voices heard. Spain believes that increasing their presence will help make the Council more representative. But we need much more than that. We also believe that we must increase the possibilities for all Member States to sit on the Council on a periodic basis. The best way to achieve that objective is to increase the number of elected seats, which is a step that would also make the Council a more democratic and accountable body vis-à-vis all the Members of the Organization. Members all know that my country is against creating new permanent seats, for we believe that would not make the Council more representative or effective. On the contrary, we would be creating an exclusive Council rather than a more inclusive one and would be turning our back on the need to make it more democratic and more credible. We need a responsible and effective Council. Those two characteristics go hand in hand. Spain supports the idea of allowing those Member States that want to make a meaningful contribution to the work of the Council to serve on it for longer periods and more frequently. Spain believes in a Security Council based on merit, not priviliges. My delegation shares the proposal of the Uniting for Consensus group to create seats of longer duration, as well as the possibility of immediate re-election. That formula would make it possible for those States that so wish, and are in a position to do so, to contribute more to the work of the Council. In conclusion, I reiterate Spain’s willingness to work alongside other groups and Member States to reach a timely, optimal and consensus-based solution.

I would like to associate myself fully with the statement delivered earlier by Ambassador Harald Braun of Germany on behalf of the Group of Four (G-4) countries. Allow me to start by drawing attention to decision 69/560, which Member States adopted by consensus last month. This was not just another technical, business-as- usual decision. It was the decision to formally recognize the text and its annex circulated by the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session, His Excellency Mr. Sam Kutesa, on 31 July of this year as the basis for intergovernmental negotiations. The text is a product of everyone, under the able chairmanship of Ambassador Courtenay Rattray. I wish to thank him for his strong stewardship, dedication and hard work. I recall that in March Member States were briefed on the way forward to the text. It was made very clear that each and every Member State was welcome to populate the framework document with proposals and positions. Submissions to the framework document were kindly accepted even after the deadline. Each and every Member State that populated the framework document was consulted intensively before the text was circulated. In other words, the train for reform was always there for us. Everyone who wished to get on board was able to do so whenever they wished. We now have more than 120 passengers. Every passenger is treated equally and is well seated. Seats still remain for more passengers who have not yet gotten on the train. I cannot think of a more membership-driven method for intergovernmental negotiations than this. Japan therefore congratulates and warmly welcomes Her Excellency Ms. Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, as the new driver of this beautiful train. Although the text may not be as concise and operational as my delegation initially called for, I accept it because it is a product of everyone. I believe that is why Member States adopted by consensus decision 69/560 to roll over the text to this session of the General Assembly as the basis for text-based negotiations. Japan supports the new Chair in moving the process forward towards actually launching text-based negotiations. I am sure many other Member States will join in that endeavour. The text is an important starting point for text-based negotiations, and yet it is only a starting point. I believe all Member States agree that we need to reform the Security Council in order to enhance its effectiveness and that we need to expand its membership to reflect the realities of the international community in the twenty-first century. The only thing we cannot agree on at this moment is the configuration of the reformed Council and the treatment of the veto — two issues. Reform requires negotiations. Negotiations require a text. I believe Member States can negotiate to bridge those only remaining substantial gaps based on the text. Geopolitical realities have changed over the past 70 years. There are more Member States in today’s world that have both the capacity and the willingness to take on the primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. If we increase only non-permanent members, that will not bring an appropriate balance to reflect geopolitical realities in the Council. The expansion of permanent membership will surely strengthen the Council’s functioning, and that is in line with the spirit of Article 23 of the Charter of the United Nations. I understand there are some Member States that argue that we should greatly enhance the representation of developing countries but support only the expansion of non-permanent seats or the creation of a new category. I would like to ask those Member States for their views. What is their answer to the aspiration of our African friends, without having them as permanent members, considering what our African friends call the “historical injustice done to Africa”? Do they think that the legitimate aspiration expressed by our African friends can be met by their argument? We need to address the most controversial question — the veto. Initiatives put forward, most notably by France and the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group, on restraining its use in situations of mass atrocities are receiving growing support. Japan supports both those initiatives. It is important to capitalize on the momentum generated by the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations. The G-4 leaders, who gathered here in New York on 26 September, agreed on and pledged to reach out to Member States to achieve early and meaningful reform of the Security Council. The G-4 is determined to redouble its efforts towards securing concrete outcomes during this session of the General Assembly. My delegation very much expects the President’s leadership on this important agenda item and will support him as we make progress during this very critical year of the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations.

We would like to thank the President for convening this meeting on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council. As we celebrate the United Nations seventieth anniversary, this question remains highly relevant. We welcome the decision by which the General Assembly reaffirmed its central role on this question and decided to continue the intergovernmental negotiations on the reform of the Security Council in informal plenary meetings of the General Assembly at its seventieth session. Since the beginning, the intergovernmental negotiations process has demonstrated its complexity. We thank Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, as the outgoing Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations, for his dedication and tireless efforts to move the process forward. Switzerland welcomes the appointment of Ambassador Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg as the new facilitator and Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations. We congratulate her on her appointment and are confident that she will carry on the constructive work of her predecessor. We encourage Ambassador Lucas to build on the current momentum, and we wish her full success in the challenge ahead. Lastly, I wish to assure the President that Switzerland, as a member of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group, will do everything it can to improve the working methods of the Security Council.

Seventy years ago, at the 1945 San Francisco Conference, and in 1946 as one of the first elected members of the Security Council, Australia argued strongly against the veto. We did so because we saw it as hampering the Council’s effectiveness and legitimacy. Today those same reasons underscore our support for Security Council reform, reform that will ensure that the Council is able to respond to modern realities and uphold its Charter responsibilities transparently, credibly and effectively. Put simply, the Council’s effectiveness and legitimacy require, first, an expansion of its membership to reflect today’s geopolitical realities, secondly, limits on the use of the veto, and thirdly, greater transparency in the Council’s workings. Australia strongly supports the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group’s code of conduct on Security Council action in situations of mass atrocities, and the complementary French/Mexican political declaration on veto restraint. The strong, almost overwhelming, support from the United Nations membership for those proposals underscores how fundamental this reform is for the proper functioning of the United Nations in advancing international peace and security. The onus now is on the Security Council to respond. We also urge all Council members to continue making the Council more accessible, transparent and inclusive. Openness and transparency can, and should, be integrated into the day-to-day workings of the Council. Expansion of the Council’s membership is essential for the Council’s continued legitimacy and relevance. The Council continues to be badly out of step with the evolution of the world’s geopolitics. For those reasons, Australia supports expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, including for a more equitable geographical balance. The Council benefits from a diverse and changing elected membership. It will be crucial to ensure that any changes to membership or duration of Council terms do not prevent a diverse range of countries from seeking election and serving as elected members. Together we, the United Nations membership, made substantial progress in the intergovernmental negotiations during the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly. We warmly commend Ambassador Rattray for leading a transparent, inclusive, results-oriented process in which more than 120 Member States contributed to the framework text. That was an important achievement. Seventy years after the United Nations was established, the time has now come to move to text- based negotiations on Council reform, on the basis of resolution 69/560 and the framework text. We have an unmistakable responsibility to reshape and adapt the Security Council so it is able to address the complex peace and security challenges over the next 70 years. We therefore warmly welcome Ambassador Lucas’s appointment to lead the intergovernmental negotiations process, and we pledge Australia’s full cooperation to achieve a strong result under her leadership.

At the outset, I would like to begin by welcoming decision 69/560, adopted at the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly under the presidency of Mr. Sam Kutesa, to continue with intergovernmental negotiations on reforming the Security Council, a goal shared by more than 90 per cent of Member States. We acknowledge and commend the leadership and commendable work carried out as Chair by Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, to bring us to today’s point where we have a text on which we can negotiate. The transparency, dedication and discipline with which Ambassador Rattray led the discussions should be emulated in any United Nations process. We feel optimistic about the commitment taken on and expressed by President Lykketoft at the seventieth session of the General Assembly, as well as his decision that the negotiations going forward should be led by the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, representative of another small country that is committed to this reform process and that has shown good examples of making sure that equity, justice and morality prevail in the various organizational and decision-making processes. In addition, we welcome the fact that a woman is presiding over the work involved in the reform of the Security Council, fulfilling the objective of promoting gender equality and empowering women, and is also bringing her vast experience, sensitivity and knowledge to this position. The Security Council was born out of a cataclysmic time for humankind — out of the ashes and suffering of a world war. However, in our changing world in 70 years we have seen only one substantive revision. Although the Security Council has been successful in preventing another global conflict, we are today seeing explosions of humanitarian crises that also transcend borders and present huge challenges to the peace and security of the world. The tragedies of refugees, of terrorism — just those situations affect so many people. Those women, men and children are those whom we do not want to be left behind in the Sustainable Development Agenda. Hence we must promote the reform of the sole United Nations organ whose decisions are binding and strictly implemented. The reform of the Security Council and other related matters are an essential component if we are to revitalize the United Nations as a body and make it fit for purpose in fulfilling the noble Agenda to which we recently subscribed (resolution 70/1). This issue is critical to the maintenance of international peace and security and is also intrinsically bound up with sustainable development. As Pope Francis said, in a world of of unfettered ambition and collective selfishness, it has never been more necessary to appeal to the moral conscience of the human being. We need a paradigm shift that emphasizes ethical values and to make sure that our actions are just and proper. The Security Council needs to be revitalized to make it not only more representative but also more effective, transparent and open to accountability to the international community. The recent launch of the code of conduct to restrict the use of the veto in the Security Council is an initial step towards that long-awaited reform and begin to rid ourselves of the anachronistic distinctions between permanent and non-permanent members. Let us resolve to crown this seventieth year of the United Nations with a decision on the reform of the Security Council. Let us not remain stuck in the debate we began more than 20 years ago concerning the urgent need to reform it. We are an Organization that has quadrupled in membership over those 70 years — a sign that the world has evolved and will continue to do so. That reality, which reflects a new historic moment in the life of the United Nations, must also be reflected in an internal adaptation of its bodies so that its structure, functioning and dynamics respond to 193 Member States, which should let go of any of rights or priviliges conferred upon them in other circumstances. Panama will continue to participate actively in the intergovernmental process to reform the Security Council, devoted to our calling to offer compromises, trying to bring seemly polarized positions closer together. We are convinced that the elements that unite us outnumber our differences. That is our commitment to “We the peoples of the United Nations”, to whom we are responsible.

I wish to thank the President for convening this annual General Assembly debate and for his commitment to Security Council reform. I would like to assure him of Poland’s support in his efforts towards that goal. We also welcome and congratulate the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, on her appointment as the new Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations. I take this opportunity to thank Ambassador Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica for his dedication, leadership and excellent work during the last round of the intergovernmental negotiations. One of our birthday wishes to the United Nations as it turned 70 was to have a more representative, effective, transparent and responsible Security Council. We would like to see that organ adapted to the realities of today’s world and fully complying with its responsibilities as envisaged in the Charter of the United Nations. Poland now looks forward to the immediate resumption of the intergovernmental negotiations, as was agreed upon in September by us, the General Assembly. My delegation is convinced that by building on the work undertaken during the Assembly’s last session we will be able to take another significant step forward towards Council reform. In order to reach the much-needed consensus, we must continue an open dialogue that creates room for everyone to express their opinions and arguments. The United Nations is made up of regional groups of different sizes. All of them advocate their equitable representation on the reformed Council. We firmly believe that the ambitions of the Group of African States, as well as the Asian, Pacific and Latin American countries, are equally justified. But being a member of the Group of Eastern European States — the smallest among the regional groups but at the same time one that has also witnessed a noticeable increase over the last decades — we would like to repeat our call for an additional non-permanent seat for the Eastern European Group. We also support efforts to make the Council’s actions more transparent and effective. Poland gladly contributed to the Security Council’s open debate (see S/PV.7539) on its working methods held last week under the very able Spanish presidency. Finally, with respect to the question of the veto power, we wish to welcome the growing number of supporters of the French/Mexican proposal on restraint in its use. Poland has also endorsed the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group’s code of conduct that aims at timely and decisive Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

My delegation attaches great importance to the subject before us. Let me begin by commending Ambassador Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica, outgoing Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations on reform of the Security Council. His dedication and commitment to moving forward the negotiations at the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly deserves our praise. I also congratulate Her Excellency Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, on her appointment to chair the intergovernmental negotiations. It is an onerous task. I do not envy her. Nevertheless, I am confident she will be able to build on her predecessor’s work as the basis of our efforts to advance reform of the Security Council. I assure her of my delegation’s support and cooperation. My delegation fully aligns itself with the statement delivered earlier by the representative of Sierra Leone, coordinator of the Group of African States. Kenya reaffirms its full support and commitment to the common African position and Africa’s legitimate claim embodied in the Ezulwini Consensus. My delegation is pleased that the African Group statement has comprehensively touched on the substantive issues on Security Council reform that are of the greatest concern to Africa and the wider United Nations membership. In the interests of brevity and to avoid repetition, my delegation would like to take this opportunity to highlight the following points. I believe I speak for many here when I say that our countries occasionally come under undue pressure on issues of transparency and accountability at the national level. Unfortunately, in the context of governance of international institutions, that is not the case. As the principle organ responsible for maintenance of international peace and security, the Security Council exemplifies a structure that is not compatible with the current realities of the world. It does not reflect the current world power distribution and geopolitical situation. The Council’s small size and exclusive nature, its relations with the General Assembly and its working methods and undemocratic nature are out of step with today’s demands. It is antiquated and ill-adapted to fulfil its tasks. Some regions of the world do not have representation on the Council. Indeed, a considerable portion of the United Nations global constituency is unrepresented and unheard in the administration of global affairs. They do not have a say in the policies that directly affect them. Africa, which provides a very large share of the United Nations security agenda and is also the focus of considerable work of the Organization, has no voice in the Council. That is not only discriminatory, but also unfair and unjust. My delegation is convinced that it is imperative that the Council be able to meet contemporary standards and the demands of the twenty-first century. It must meet expectations of legitimacy based on accountability and democracy in its decision-making procedures and representation. It is therefore incumbent upon us, the United Nations membership, collectively to ensure that the Security Council reform process moves forward in accordance with the five guiding principles outlined in decision 62/557. Finally, my delegation looks forward to engaging in open and transparent negotiations in which the entire membership have an equal voice. We believe the work carried out thus far provides a valuable basis for our collective efforts to work towards reform of the Security Council. We must build on this as part of our efforts to make the United Nations a more efficient and effective instrument in the service of all the peoples of the world.

Let me first thank the President and the secretariat for accommodating us to speak at this time at the end of the morning’s meeting. First, Nigeria would like to commend the President for the determination that he has shown to move the intergovernmental negotiations process on Security Council reform forward during the seventieth session of the General Assembly. In particular, we commend him for convening this important meeting, which is in fulfilment of his promise contained in the letter of 23 October circulated to all missions. Nigeria aligns itself with the statements made earlier by His Excellency Ambassador Vandi Minah, Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, who spoke on behalf of the Group of African States on the Common African Position, and also Ambassador Menissa Rambally, Permanent Representative of Saint Lucia, who spoke on behalf of the L.69 group. We have been following with keen interest the President’s views on the subject of Security Council reform ever since he was elected to office as the President of the seventieth session in June 2015. We recall that in his acceptance speech after the election he observed appropriately that: “Most interest seems to be centred on the reform of the Security Council and creating more transparency and openness when selecting the next Secretary-General” (A/69/PV.94, p. 3) Thereafter, he assured the Assembly that he would continue this work when the seventieth session began and that he would “conduct the presidency as transparently, inclusively and openly as possible.” (ibid.) It is noteworthy that the issue of the reform of the Security Council continues to receive attention at the highest levels. It is important for us to recall that at the just-concluded India-Africa Summit in New Delhi, leaders underlined the need for an early reform of the Council to adjust to the changing realities of the world. Nigeria commends Member States for adopting decision 69/560, of 14 September 2015, by which the General Assembly reaffirmed its central role on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to its work. By this, Member States also decided to continue with the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform in informal plenary of the General Assembly during the seventieth session. Consistent with this decision, it will be recalled that the President, in his opening address at the commencement of the seventieth session on 15 September, reassured Member States by stating that, responding to “the continued interest among many Member States in both the reform of the Security Council and in creating more transparency and openness when selecting the next Secretary-General, I will continue the work mandated by Member States on both of those issues.” (A/70/PV.1, p. 2). Similarly, in his opening speech of the general debate on 28 September, he underscored his resolve to support “new ideas on how to strengthen global peace and security, from the role of women to conflict prevention, mediation and settlement; from United Nations peace operations to the overall peacebuilding architecture and Security Council reform.” (A/70/PV.13, p. 5) These are very important commitments that the President has given to Member States. His commitment to this process resonated in the content of his letter of 23 October, wherein he informed Member States of his appointment of Her Excellency Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, as Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations during the seventieth session. In the letter he rightly observed that the discussion on this subject gained greater momentum during the sixty-ninth session under the leadership of the Honourable Sam Kutesa, whom we wish to commend for his steadfast commitment to the reform of the Security Council. Against that backdrop, we must strive to build on the laudable achievement recorded during the previous session, when for the first time we had a text upon which negotiations would now be based. Consequently, we are very hopeful that today’s meeting and subsequent steps will firmly build on this momentum. The cadence must not drop. The tempo must be sustained. We commend Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, who chaired the process at its eleventh round, during the sixty-ninth session, for his exemplary leadership. In the same vein we welcome the appointment of Ambassador Lucas and congratulate her on it. We are grateful to her for accepting this enormous responsibility and assure her of our cooperation. We encourage her to inject new vigour into the process and determinedly move it forward in a significant way during the seventieth session. Nigeria has always expressed its support for the advancement of the intergovernmental negotiations process in an open, inclusive and transparent manner. As we prepare to move into the next round of negotiations during this session, we thank all delegations that have continued to express their support for the Common African Position. We would like to seize this opportunity to reaffirm this Common African Union Position on the entire subject of Security Council reform, to which we adhere very strongly. That is important in order to correct the historical injustice done to the continent and its continued marginalization over so many years. For that reason, we wish to underscore the overriding need to ensure that the interests of Africa continue to be put forward and safeguarded. African States have offered a coherent, practical and persuasive blueprint for the Council’s reform. We have come up with a common position, which asserts the right of our continent that has for so long been marginalized, and we recognize the legitimate aspirations of other regions to be fully represented in the Council. Security Council reform is inspired by the principles of the Charter itself. The clear objective of this process is based on the sovereign equality of all Member States and on the need to adhere to the principles of democratization and inclusiveness in the United Nations. It is undoubtedly a worthwhile process. Therefore, we must muster the desired political will that can lead to the achievement of a reformed Security Council sooner rather than indefinitely. Finally, what is required of us at this juncture is to move to the stage of actual negotiations with the aid of a text, which is now available to us. There should be marked progress in the forthcoming negotiations far beyond what we achieved during the sixty-ninth session. We look forward with great optimism to the next line of actions during the seventieth session. We assure the President of our full cooperationin that respect.