A/71/PV.92 General Assembly

If there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the report of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) that is before the Assembly today.

Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of position. The positions of delegations regarding the recommendations of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. I would like to remind members that, under paragraph 7 of decision 34/401, the General Assembly agreed that “When the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, that is, either in the Committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation’s vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee.” I would like to remind delegations that, also in accordance with General Assembly decision 34/401, explanations of position or vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. Before we begin to take action on the recommendation contained in the report of the special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), I should like to advise representatives that we are going to proceed to take decisions in the same manner as was done in the Committee, unless notified otherwise in advance. The Assembly will now consider the report (A/71/495/Add.1) of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) on agenda item 51, entitled “Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects”. The General Assembly has before it a draft resolution recommended by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) in paragraph 6 of that report. The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution. The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 51.

I now give the floor to the representative of Ecuador to introduce draft resolution A/71/L.67/Rev.1.

On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, I have the honour to introduce draft resolution A/71/L.67/Rev.1, entitled “Implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa”. This new draft resolution recognizes that there has been notable progress in achieving durable and sustainable peace in Africa. However, in order to achieve a conflict-free African continent, the draft resolution calls for enhancing national and regional efforts and initiatives with international support to respond to conflicts in a peaceful and effective manner. On behalf of our Group, I would like to thank our coordinators from Mauritania and Egypt, and the facilitator from Morocco, for their work during the negotiations, as well as all of the parties who constructively participated during the negotiation of the text, thereby making it possible to achieve consensus on this important draft resolution.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/71/L.67/Rev. 1, entitled “Implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa”. The draft resolution is now closed for e-sponsorship. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that, since the submission of the draft resolution, in addition to those delegations listed in document A/71/L.67/Rev.1, the following countries have also become sponsors of the draft resolution: Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey.

May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt draft resolution A/71/L.67/Rev.1?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 62?

Members will recall that, pursuant to General Assembly decision 70/559, of 27 July 2016, the Assembly has continued intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform in informal plenary meetings during the current session. In a letter date 11 July, I circulated, for consideration by Member States, language for a draft oral decision on this issue. May I take it that the General Assembly decides to, first, reaffirm the central role of the General Assembly concerning the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council; secondly, to immediately continue intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform in informal plenary of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session, as mandated by Assembly decisions 62/557, of 15 September 2008, 63/565 B, of 14 September 2009, 64/568, of 13 September 2010, 65/554, of 12 September 2011, 66/566, of 13 September 2012, 67/561, of 29 August 2013, 68/557, of 8 September 2014, 69/560, of 14 September 2015, and 70/559, of 27 July 2016, building on the informal meetings held during its seventy-first session, as well as the positions of, and proposals made by, Member States, reflected in the text and its annex circulated on 31 July 2015, and using the elements of convergence circulated on 12 July 2016 and the elements of commonality and issues for further consideration circulated on 27 June 2017 to help inform its future work, while welcoming the active engagement, initiatives and intensive efforts of the President of the General Assembly and noting with appreciation the active role and concrete efforts of the co-Chairs undertaken in a consultative manner with a view to an early comprehensive reform of the Security Council; thirdly, to convene the Open- ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and other Matters related to the Security Council during the seventy-second session of the General Assembly, if Member States so decide; and, fourthly, to include in the agenda of the seventy-second session of the General Assembly the item entitled “Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council”? The draft oral decision was adopted (decision 71/553).

Before giving the floor to speakers in explanation of position, I would like to remind delegations that explanations are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of Arab States. At the outset, allow me to express my deep appreciation to you, Mr. President, for guiding the work of the General Assembly and for the attention you have paid to one of the most important issues on the agenda, “Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council”. I would also like to commend the efforts of the co-Chairs of the intergovernmental negotiations — the Permanent Representative of Tunisia, Mr. Mohamed Khaled Khiari, and the Permanent Representative of Romania, Ambassador Ion Jinga — who sought to reach an understanding between the points of view of the various groups. The Arab Group welcomes the consensus adoption of decision 71/553. I would like to assure the Assembly that the Group is keen to ensure that any attempts at intergovernmental negotiations enjoy unanimous acceptance, which reaffirms the position of the Arab Group. The Group calls for unity within the Group and rejects any attempts at negotiations that are not accepted by all States Members of the United Nations. The Arab Group looks forward to continuing the debate within the intergovernmental negotiations during the seventy-second session of the General Assembly, based on what has been achieved during previous sessions, in order to implement a comprehensive reform of the Security Council that reflects the positions of Member States, and in particular that of the Arab Group. The Group calls for a permanent seat with all the privileges that permanent membership brings. The Arab Group reaffirms its determination to continue positive negotiations during the upcoming General Assembly session in order to reach an agreed solution to the reform of the Security Council.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the member States of the African Union and to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your excellent leadership of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. I would like to express our sincere appreciation to you for your unwavering commitment and dedication to reform of the Security Council. The Group of African States remains steadfastly committed to comprehensive and meaningful reform of the Security Council. We also appreciate the efforts of the co-Chairs of the intergovernmental negotiations during this session, Ambassadors Ion Jinga of Romania and Mohamed Khaled Khiari of Tunisia. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all States Members of the United Nations for the eloquent discussions that have led to our adoption by consensus just now of roll- over decision 71/533. I believe that decision is in the spirit of our efforts to preserve unity and mutual trust among the membership in moving forward the reform process of the Security Council, so that it can better serve humankind and conform with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. With regard to our letter of 10 July, responding to your letter, Mr. President, of 27 June, in which you circulated elements of commonality and issues for further consideration and discussion of the equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Council, we conveyed to you our view that it was regrettable that the element paper as presented by the co-Chairs did not adequately reflect the letter and spirit of the common African position on Security Council reform. We note with appreciation that the paper specifically mentions Africa’s representation on a reformed Council. However, that understanding does not precisely reflect the accurate reports of the intergovernmental-negotiation meetings. While the paper does attempt to reflect the tenor of the discussions specifically referring to Africa and the common African position, the African Group had expected the co-Chairs to reflect the fact that the common African position had garnered wide political acceptance during the current intergovernmental negotiations. In that regard, support for the allocation to Africa of seats in both categories of Council membership should have been highlighted. To that end, and as the process moves forward, the Africa Group would appreciate it if it were made very clear in any future intergovernmental negotiations outcome document that Africa should be represented in both the permanent and non-permanent categories on a reformed Council. The African Group is pleased that the position of the proposals made by the Member States, as reflected in the framework document and its annex circulated by the President of the General Assembly at its sixty- ninth session, will be rolled over to the seventy-second session. Africa will continue to engage constructively with all Member States in a spirit of mutual trust and respect, with a view to achieving comprehensive reform of the Security Council so as to enhance the legitimacy of its decisions. It is only through such reform that we can talk of a Security Council that is more representative, democratic, accountable, transparent, effective and efficient in carrying out its mandate under the Charter of the United Nations. We look forward to a more constructive and forward- looking intergovernmental-negotiation process during the seventy-second session of the General Assembly and urge all Member States to work together to reach the widest possible political acceptance, in a manner that will promote our unity of purpose in maintaining the values and ideals of the founding fathers of the United Nations, a United Nations fit-for-purpose, with its continuing utility as the centre of global governance.

This being my last statement as Permanent Representative of Germany in the General Assembly, I have the honour and pleasure to speak today on behalf of the Group of Four — Brazil, India, Japan and my own country. I would like to make three points. First of all, we thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership on the process of Security Council reform within the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. You guided us skilfully through the sometimes stormy waters of the intergovernmental-negotiation ocean and stayed the course, despite strong winds blowing from several directions at a time. You brought us one step further and ensured that we do not have to give up hope that we will eventually reach the shores of reform. We also thank the co-Chairs of the intergovernmental negotiations, Ambassadors Ion Jinga and Mohamed Khaled Khiari, for their efforts in steering the ship. They made us work hard; they made us question our positions and those of others; and in that way they made us carve out broadly supported commonalities and identify issues for further consideration. Their work is greatly appreciated. Secondly, we support roll-over decision 71/553, which you presented, Mr. President, and the paper it contains entitled “Elements of commonality and issues for further consideration”. Both the decision and the paper will help to direct the oars on our ship’s course towards Council reform. The decision also highlights where we have come from, including the milestones achieved by the sixty-ninth and seventieth sessions, the framework document and the elements paper. Together with this year’s document, they form the map for our course ahead. Speaking of our course ahead, let me share a saying that fits our situation in the intergovernmental negotiations: “He who goes nowhere will never get anywhere, either”. For us, its meaning is clear. We must move on from turning in circles. We must move on from our repetitions. We must move on from talking about negotiations to beginning real negotiations, based on a negotiating text. That saying is from Romania and is highly relevant. It leads to my third and final point. To all of the well- deserved praise for the work of all present and of the intergovernmental-negotiation co-Chairs, I would like to add an appeal or, as some would say, to dilute the wine with some water. We cannot be completely satisfied with the outcome of the intergovernmental negotiations at the seventy-first session — not only because the General Assembly has not yet adopted a draft resolution reforming the Security Council, but also because we have not even set our sails on the course of text-based negotiations. It is the beginning of this standard operating procedure for all other United Nations negotiations that is missing. The ship of the intergovernmental negotiations seems to have its oars in the water on only one side. And so while all of us are rowing as hard as we can, we are moving in circles. Text-based negotiations will mean oars in the water on both sides of the ship and full speed ahead to the shores of actual reform. There is no need for the next captain of the intergovernmental negotiations to worry about taking that course. Almost all of the ship’s crew — at least 164 out of 193 — have signed up for it and are ready to row.

If this is indeed the last time that the representative of Germany will address the General Assembly, as President I would like to thank him, as one of the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly, for his sterling service to the Assembly at its seventy- first session.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the L.69 group, a diverse group of countries made up largely of small States from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific that are united by the common cause of achieving lasting and comprehensive reform of the Security Council. We would like to thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership and stewardship of this process and for your guidance to the co-Chairs in the work undertaken on this crucial issue. We would also like to thank and congratulate the co-Chairs, Ambassadors Ion Jinga of Romania and Mohamed Khaled Khiari of Tunisia, for providing Member States with ample opportunities for substantive and interactive discussions during this session, which took place in a frank and cordial atmosphere. The document we have adopted today (decision 71/553) is an important contribution by the co-Chairs to this process and has the full support of our Group and, in our view, of the entire membership. The General Assembly’s consideration of this item began 25 years ago. We have adopted several documents in the past quarter of a century on the issue and the paper on elements of commonality and issues for further consideration reflects one more important addition to this montage of papers and documents. While we are glad that today we are marking the culmination of a year’s work on this process by the Assembly on an important issue, in the broader scheme of things we have yet to begin our real work of negotiations and political give-and-take. And that, in our view, is not for want or will or substance but because of the obduracy of a minority unwilling to respect the larger sentiments of the General Assembly. In no other purportedly democratic space have we seen the wish of 85 per cent of the membership of an organization not lead to action. Just as the Security Council is, in theory, accountable to the entire membership for its action or inaction, the General Assembly is accountable to the people of the United Nations for its action or lack thereof. At the end of 25 years of our consideration of this issue, we must take stock and honestly assess our progress. We must assess why, after all these years, we are carrying on with a fundamentally abnormal process. The principles of democracy and transparency could well suggest that we should hold our meetings in open format so that the international community and our young people can better ascertain what might be holding us back from acting on the wish of a majority of Member States. The L.69 group, in its letter of 6 March, clearly demonstrated that more than 160 countries believe that the process at this stage has all the conditions needed to build on the work of previous sessions and advance to text-based negotiations. We are ready and eager to negotiate, discuss, resolve issues and move forward on this crucial and important issue. We hope that our next step will be to normalize this process and begin text-based negotiations, so that a compromise solution that enjoys the widest possible political acceptance can emerge through the process. In that regard, we hope that at the next session we will begin from where we left off at this session, and not attempt yet again to reinvent the wheel. I would like to end with a wise quote from an important tradition of the East: “Let not the fruit of action be your motive to action. Your business is with action alone, not the fruit of action.” I wish for all of us to be guided in doing the right thing. That alone will determine the fruits of our action. That alone will alleviate our fears and hesitation. We hope that together we will rise to the call of our collective wisdom and reform the Security Council sooner rather than later.

On behalf of the Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group, I wish to thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership during the seventy-first session of the General Assembly. I would also like to commend the intergovernmental negotiations co-Chairs, Ambassadors Khiari and Jinga, for the transparent and inclusive manner in which they discharged their duties. Their stewardship fostered a constructive atmosphere during this session of the intergovernmental negotiations that enabled all delegations to engage in frank and substantive discussions. Today we have agreed to continue intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform, building on the work undertaken by Member States throughout the intergovernmental-negotiation process. In fact, all sessions of the intergovernmental negotiations have made important contributions to the reform process, with a view to reaching a solution that can garner the widest possible consensus among Member States. During this session of the intergovernmental negotiations, discussions among Member States allowed the co-Chairs to identify commonalities and issues for further consideration, as reflected in the document they authored. The document has not been endorsed or adopted by Member States, but we acknowledge its contribution to a consensus solution. Like others, the UfC group shared its views on the elements of the document, including on the commonalities that clearly need further deliberation. In that regard, we wish to stress that, regardless of its placement in the document, the expansion in other categories of membership is an issue that requires further consideration. Nonetheless, just as you, Mr. President, underlined in your letter dated 27 June, we also believe that the document of the co-Chairs can be considered as a step in the right direction. At the beginning of this negotiating session, we urged the membership to work on a common definition of the principles that should inspire Security Council reform. As this session comes to a close, we are more convinced than ever that, once consensus on those principles has been reached, the next stages of the reform process will be more fluid. In that regard, we are glad to acknowledge the repeated references in the co-Chairs’ document to the principles underpinning Security Council reform. However, we were surprised at the opposition shown by some delegations to the inclusion of the two cardinal principles of democracy and representation as commonalities. Confronted with that opposition to the fundamental principles promoted by the United Nations, the co-Chairs were forced to keep them as issues that need further consideration with a view to achieving the objective of a more democratic Security Council. The UfC group firmly believes that a serious discussion on those two key principles for Security Council reform cannot be postponed any further. Therefore, it is our expectation that Member States will finally be given such an opportunity during the seventy-second session of the General Assembly. Last November, during the debate on Security Council reform (see A/71/PV.42 and A/71/PV.43), we recall that no Member State disagreed with the idea of adding new non-permanent seats on the Council and favouring the underrepresented regions, and that a significant and growing number of Member States opposed an expansion of the veto. Today we acknowledge the conclusion of the co-Chairs that the expansion in the number of non-permanent members is accepted by all Member States as part of a comprehensive reform of all five clusters indicated by decision 62/557. We also agree that the question of the veto is a key element of Security Council reform. If there continues to be a sharp and enduring disagreement among Member States on this issue, it is because of the demand for additional permanent seats. Today, as we were in last November, we are persuaded that there is common ground that can help us find the solution to finally unlock the reform process. Flexibility and a spirit of compromise can lead the General Assembly to the consensus on sustainable reform of the Security Council that we have been striving for. Building on those bases, the UfC group looks forward to engaging in future negotiations in the sincere conviction that Security Council reform is possible and within reach.

Hungary commends you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting, and we welcome the adoption of decision 71/553, which allows for continued efforts to reform the Security Council. We would like to thank the co-Chairs, Ambassadors Khiari and Jinga, for guiding us through this cycle, and to acknowledge their hard work on the food-for- thought paper until the very last minute. We believe that the paper is a good complement to the documents prepared by the previous facilitators of the process, and we would like to see efforts in that regard continue in the coming cycle. The seventy-second session of the General Assembly will mark the twenty-fifth year since the adoption of landmark resolution 47/62, on the need for Security Council reform, as well as the tenth anniversary of the launch of the intergovernmental negotiations process. Our strong preference would be to honour the next important session by building on the momentum gained this year, and by clarifying commonalities and questions for further consideration so that we can finally start negotiations that are based on a consolidated text. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that Hungary takes a positive view of this year’s outcome and stands ready to contribute actively to the next intergovernmental-negotiation process so as to enable it to go even further.

At the outset, the delegation of Egypt aligns itself with the statements delivered previously by the Permanent Representatives of Kuwait and Sierra Leone on behalf of the Group of Arab States and the Group of African States, respectively. I would also like to make the following comments in my national capacity. Egypt expresses its deep appreciation to you, Mr. President, for your efforts and commitment throughout your presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session, as well as for your efforts to push forward the Security Council reform agenda, an issue of particular interest to all Member States. I would also like to express our gratitude to the two co-Chairs of the intergovernmental negotiations, Ambassadors Ion Jinga, Permanent Representative of Romania, and Mohamed Khaled Khiari, Permanent Representative of Tunisia, for their commitment to achieving true progress in the intergovernmental-negotiation process and for their efforts to bring the positions of various countries and groups together. We appreciate the consensus achieved on decision 71/553, which reflects the collective commitment to intergovernmental negotiations as the sole mechanism for achieving just, comprehensive Security Council reform. The consensus also reflects the desire of all members to work together to build a broader political space that will ultimately lead to Security Council reform, as a cornerstone of United Nations reform as a whole, in order to enable the Organization to meet its current challenges and fulfil the purposes of the Charter. Today’s decision will enable us to continue our work in the context of the intergovernmental negotiations during the next session of the General Assembly. We must consider the guiding principles laid out in decision 62/557, which launched the intergovernmental-negotiation process. The first of them is that the intergovernmental negotiations are a Member State-led and -owned process and that the various positions of the different groups form the basis for the negotiations. That said, if any document resulting from the various meetings and rounds of negotiations is to enjoy consensus, it must fully reflect the Common African Position, in line with the Sirte Declaration, and Africa’s request for adequate representation in the various categories of Security Council membership, including two permanent seats, in order to rectify the historical injustice that Africa has suffered and allow it to participate effectively in the maintenance of international peace and security. The document should also fully reflect the position of the Group of Arab States, which requests a permanent seat in any future expansion of permanent Council seats. Furthermore, the decision also confirms the importance of arriving at a solution that will preserve the links and connections between the five groups involved in the negotiations in order to achieve the broadest possible agreement among Member States. Egypt welcomes the documents that have shed further light on the positions and commonalities of Member States and has also identified controversial issues, which remain quite numerous. Egypt looks forward to the continuation of those efforts during the next round of intergovernmental negotiations. The discussions that have taken place at this meeting highlight the importance of in-depth talks on the principles and norms that form the basis of the intergovernmental negotiations, as has been reiterated on many occasions by several groups, including the Arab and African Groups, in order to make the direction that the intergovernmental process will take going forward as clear as possible and for Member States to agree as much as possible on Security Council reform issues. In conclusion, Egypt is ready to continue working constructively with all countries and groups during the seventy-second session of the General Assembly in order to strengthen unity among Member States and take further steps towards the reform we all seek.

I have the honour to deliver my brief remarks on behalf of the 14 States members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CARICOM welcomes the adoption by consensus of decision 71/553, aimed at reaffirming the central role of the General Assembly on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters, as well as immediately continuing intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform during the seventy-second session of the Assembly. We view this as a demonstration that Member States have an interest in sustaining the debate on reform of the Council, despite differences in their positions. CARICOM looks forward to building on the informal meetings held during the seventy-first session of the Assembly and on the positions and proposals of Member States using the elements of convergence, circulated on 12 July 2016, and the elements of commonality and issues for further consideration, circulated on 27 June, to help inform the Assembly’s future work. We take this opportunity to commend the co-Chairs of the intergovernmental negotiations, Ambassadors Ion Jinga and Mohamed Khaled Khiari, for their able stewardship of the negotiations during the seventy-first session and to thank you, Mr. President, for your commitment to the process of reform of the Security Council. CARICOM reiterates its commitment to Security Council reform and will remain engaged in the work that lies ahead.

The General Assembly has just adopted oral decision 71/553, on a technical rollover of the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform to the next session of the General Assembly. Since the beginning of the year, the General Assembly has held five intergovernmental-negotiation meetings. Member States have discussed five clusters of issues and their inherent relationship in an overall positive atmosphere.Although differences remain, patient negotiation is itself constructive and conducive to gradually creating the conditions for achieving the broadest consensus possible. China thanks the President of the General Assembly and the co-Chairs of the intergovernmental negotiations for the role they have played in that regard. The paper, which contained food for thought on elements of convergence and issues for further consideration and was issued by the co-Chairs, reflects the co-Chairs’ understanding of Member States’ positions on Security Council reform. There is no consensus on the elements paper and no official status for the intergovernmental negotiations because of the differences of opinion among the parties. The intergovernmental-negotiation process is the core platform for advancing Security Council reform, and the membership-driven principle is the bedrock for its healthy development. China expresses its appreciation to the co-Chairs for abiding by that principle. Since 2009, the membership has actively participated in the negotiations and put forward positions, proposals and suggestions in a constructive effort to advance the process of Security Council reform. These proposals and suggestions are a means for all Member States to meet halfway and seek consensus. Security Council reform has a bearing on the real interests of all Member States and cannot be accomplished overnight. Only many years of effort and continued patient work in the context of the intergovernmental-negotiation platform will enable us to gradually narrow our differences until we have reached the broadest possible consensus. China hopes that at the next session of the General Assembly the intergovernmental-negotiation group will continue to abide by the mandate assigned by resolution 62/557, the membership-driven principle and the package solution idea, thus making fresh efforts to enable Member States to reach the broadest possible consensus on Security Council reform. China will continue to work jointly with all Member States to take Security Council reform forward in a direction that accords with the common interests of all members and the long-term interests of the United Nations.

Mr. President, I would like to thank you for convening today’s meeting and for your responsible leadership of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. We are grateful to you for decision 71/553, on the rollover of the consideration of Security Council reform to the seventy-second session. This issue is one of the most important on the Organization’s agenda, as the Council is the body that under the Charter of the United Nations has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. At the same time, as discussions during the current session have shown, the positions of Member States on certain aspects remain fundamentally different, indeed opposed. It is evident that given the major political significance of the issue of Security Council reform, we must continue to seek a solution that would enjoy much broader support from Member States than the formally required two-thirds vote. Ideally it should be a consensus-based decision, and the discussions should in any case be carried out constructively, transparently and openly, without any artificially imposed timelines. We would like to recall that developing countries in Asia and Africa should be first in line to receive additional seats on the Security Council. We believe that they have the potential to make a significant contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security. Most importantly, this will ensure that future decisions of the Council are balanced. We firmly believe that all five aspects of Security Council reform should be discussed in their entirety. Any attempt to isolate specific issues risks eroding the package approach that lies at the basis of negotiations and has been agreed to by all. We also want to emphasize that the process should not be moved forward through the imposition of facilitators’ texts, negotiation documents or other initiatives that do not enjoy consensus. Previous sessions of the General Assembly have shown the futility and danger of attempts to arrive at a solution without taking into account the full scope of positions. In conclusion, I would like to thank our co-Chairs, Ion Jinga of Romania and Mohamed Khaled Khiari of Tunisia, who put significant effort into their role during the seventy-first session.

Mr. President, I would like first of all to thank you for the priority you have given to the issue of Security Council reform and for your leadership and engagement in the reform process. We would also like to place on record our appreciation to Ambassadors Ion Jinga of Romania and Mohamed Khaled Khiari of Tunisia for their hard work and leadership of the work of the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform in an inclusive, transparent and efficient manner. Their able stewardship of the process culminated with the co-Chairs’ paper, entitled “Elements of commonality and issues for further consideration”. We regard the co-Chairs’ paper as an important outcome this year, as it identifies in one consolidated document the key elements of commonality on all five clusters of issues mandated under General Assembly resolution 62/557. The co-Chairs’ paper also lists some other issues that merit further reflection and discussion. We are happy that it builds on the work done by the intergovernmental negotiations over the past two years and, together with the framework document and the elements of convergence paper, will form a good reference point from which to start discussion at the next session of the intergovernmental negotiations. We note that the paper omitted any reference to an important issue of interest to Singapore, the need to pay due attention to the representation of small island developing States on a reformed Security Council. However, we acknowledge that the paper reflects a fine balance of the interests of Member States and the positions they hold. Accordingly, we have joined the consensus on the adoption of decision 71/553. We will, however, continue to flag this important issue as well as other issues of interest to small States, notably the working methods of the Security Council, when the intergovernmental negotiations resumes work next year. While the paper represents another milestone in the work of the process of intergovernmental negotiations, we should not rest on our laurels. The challenge now is to build on the co-Chairs’ paper and sustain the momentum for progress. In our view, the imperative for Security Council reform remains more real and urgent than ever before. We must accelerate the pace of our work in order to achieve speedy and meaningful reforms. My delegation remains committed to working with all other delegations to advance the progress made, realize meaningful and early reforms, and make the Security Council more open, accountable, effective and inclusive.

I wish to say a few words on behalf of both co-Chairs. I want to convey our deep gratitude to you, Mr. President, and to all those who have expressed their support for the work done by the two co-Chairs. Sir, in your statement of 6 February at the opening of the intergovernmental negotiations, you encouraged Member States to find ways to move beyond the impasse of long-standing differences on the nature of Security Council reform. You also mentioned the need for a renewed spirit of openness, compromise and commitment to finding common ground so as to overcome the challenges relating to the sensitive and complex issues involved in this reform. The intergovernmental negotiations are a highly complex political process, which means that reform of the Security Council requires a political solution. That solution certainly exists. The zero-sum game is not an option, and I believe that where there is a will, there is a way. As co-Chairs, we endeavoured both to be creative and to maintain momentum while respecting the aspirations of all Member States. Based on the principle that nothing is agreed on until everything is agreed on, and using interactive discussions, we tried to identify interlinkages among the five clusters, with the goal of determining elements of commonality and issues for further consideration. We always acted as honest brokers, in good faith and with full impartiality, aware of the essential role that Member States have in this process. Our common objective is to make the best of the Security Council’s capacity to meet new demands as the United Nations faces a growing array of challenges, including terrorism, humanitarian crises, human rights violations, armed conflicts and important health and environmental concerns. Those challenges can only be addressed in a coordinated manner, because whatever happens now in one corner of the world has echoes tens of thousands of miles away. The co-Chairs therefore pursued a way forward that will continue to build on increasing mutual trust among Member States in order to further explore what we have in common and to see how we can reduce the gap between different positions, keeping in mind that we cannot start from scratch every time. Because Security Council reform may have geopolitical consequences, the process of intergovernmental negotiations cannot simply be a collection of data. Its purpose is not to identify majorities and minorities of countries but to find a solution acceptable to all. Its role is to create bridges and trust, not to separate Member States into different camps. At the same time, aspirations have to match reality. As co-Chairs, we tried to take all these aspects into consideration. The United Nations is the only universal international organization we have. Despite its diversity of voices, it has not remained static since 1945. Our Organization has been in a continuing process of evolution, including through the expansion of the Security Council in 1965 and the establishment of a range of United Nations specialized agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Criminal Court, the Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council and UN- Women. These are only a few examples of how institutions positively evolve if conditions are met. We have all agreed to maintain the momentum for reform of the Security Council. The Chinese proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. We are all aware that a long road lies ahead of us. The road may sometimes seem too narrow and we may think that it is not wide enough for everyone to walk it. But if we want to reach the same destination, we need mutual trust and a general desire to compromise. Because the intergovernmental negotiations are a Member State-driven process, the elements of commonality and the issues for further consideration that the co-Chairs have identified are entirely based on the contributions of Member States. It is not a consensus document because it includes different opinions on how to reform the Security Council, but, as the statements we have heard today confirm, neither is it controversial, because it reflects, as accurately as possible, how Member States see Security Council reform. At the end of the day, this session of intergovernmental negotiations was more than an intellectual exercise in which we have had interactive debates and exchanges of arguments. As co-Chairs, we did our best to raise the expectations of Member States. We hope that our work will be added to the achievements of previous sessions and thereby contribute to the continuation of this process during the seventy-second session. As co-Chairs, we are grateful for the support and encouragement we have received during the past nine months from so many of our colleagues present here, and we are deeply honoured by the trust you, Mr. President, have placed in us. It was a privilege to be at the service of all the States Members of the United Nations during this seventy-first session.

Before concluding our deliberations, I shall make a few brief remarks on the question of equitable representation and the increase in membership of the Security Council. I would like to add my sincere thanks to the co-Chairs, Ambassador Ion Jinga, Permanent Representative of Romania, and Ambassador Mohamed Khaled Khiari, Permanent Representative of Tunisia, for diligently guiding the intergovernmental negotiations throughout the seventy-first session. On behalf of the General Assembly, I say to both that theirs was a job well done. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to all Member States and delegations for the understanding and cooperation that they extended to the co-Chairs. It is the willingness of Member States to engage and interact with broad understanding and unflagging commitment that has made the intergovernmental negotiations such a critical element of the General Assembly’s work, and it will be their willingness to explore convergences and commonalities that will take us to the reforms we seek. While this session of intergovernmental negotiations has concluded with much work remaining to be done in terms of a reform model acceptable to all Member States, I believe that the commonalities and issues for further consideration outlined under each of the five clusters under discussion will serve to assist progress in the future work of the negotiations. I trust that the intergovernmental negotiations will proceed from here to the seventy-second session with the same constructive energy, and in a fresh spirit of flexibility, so as to enable further progress to be made on the central responsibility of the General Assembly. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 122?

I now give the floor to the representative of the Federated States of Micronesia to introduce draft resolution A/71/L.77.

I have the honour to introduce draft resolution A/71/L.77, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum”, on behalf of the members of the Forum. The draft is an update of resolution 69/318 and serves two purposes. First, it takes stock of various developments over the past two years, and secondly, it encourages further cooperation between the two organizations. Let me briefly point out a few key elements in this year’s draft resolution. Notably, we have welcomed the continued mutually beneficial dialogue between the Pacific Islands Forum leaders and the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the possibility of a visit by the new Secretary- General to our region now that he has assumed office. We have also tried to consider practical solutions to assist us in our sustainable development efforts. For example, the partnerships between the United Nations system and Pacific Islands Forum members have yielded positive results through engagement with the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Tonga. We have referenced the recently operationalized Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, which would support our region’s efforts in implementing the oceans agenda, including Sustainable Development Goal 14. We have sought to consider how the United Nations system can better deliver on the ground in the Forum region and Forum members’ willingness to engage in enhanced partnership. Lastly, we have sought to recognize the importance of the recent declarations of World Tsunami Awareness Day, the International Day of the Tropics and World Tuna Day, respectively. We would like to thank all the delegations that participated constructively in the negotiations of the draft resolution, and to express our gratitude for the valuable support from the more than 80 delegations that have joined us as sponsors of the draft resolution. We would welcome and appreciate the General Assembly’s adoption of the draft resolution by consensus.

The General Assembly will now take action on draft resolution A/71/L.77, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum”. The draft resolution is closed for e-sponsorship. I now give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution, in addition to those delegations listed in document A/71/L.77, the following countries have become sponsors of the draft resolution: Argentina, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Lebanon, the Maldives, Morocco, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Surinam, Thailand, Turkey and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to adopt draft resolution A/71/L.77?

Before giving the floor for explanations of position, I would like to remind delegations that explanations of vote or position are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

The United States is pleased to join the consensus on resolution 71/316. We would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action Pathway, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 should be implemented in a manner that is consistent with the rights and obligations of States under international law and that nothing in these outcomes, including anything referred to as agreed, creates or affect States’ rights or obligations under international law. The United States further notes that on 1 June, the President announced that the United States will withdraw from or renegotiate United States participation in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change or another international climate deal.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (q) of agenda item 126?

In order for the Assembly to take action on the draft resolution, it will be necessary to reopen consideration of the sub-item. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to reopen consideration of sub-item (r) of agenda item 126?

I now give the floor to the representative of the Philippines to introduce draft resolution A/71/L.76.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the States members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam and my own country, the Philippines, to introduce draft resolution A/71/L.76, entitled “Commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations”. The draft resolution is sponsored by the States members of ASEAN, together with a number of friends and partners from across the regions of the Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe, as co-sponsors. Fifty years ago, when ASEAN was established by the Bangkok Declaration of 8 August 1967, its founding fathers envisioned an organization with the primary objective of promoting regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law and adherence to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Today, ASEAN is forging ahead to consolidate a vibrant, peaceful and outward-looking regional organization within a global community of nations. ASEAN represents an area that is home to more than 630 million people — approximately 9 per cent of the world population. Their needs, aspirations and well-being are at the centre of our organization’s vision for a politically cohesive, economically integrated, socially responsible, people-oriented and people-centred community, underpinned by three pillars — the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. The draft resolution presented to the General Assembly today is the first commemorative one of its kind proposed by a regional organization. It seeks to raise awareness of ASEAN as a regional organization that promotes multilateralism and regional peace, stability and prosperity, and highlights complementarities between the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 2025: Forging ahead together and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the years, ASEAN’s relations with the United Nations have steadily progressed. We value the engagement between the two organizations’ secretariats and the regular dialogues between the United Nations and ASEAN’s leaders, ministers and senior officials through the ASEAN-United Nations Summit and other meetings, including those that take place annually on the margins of the high-level debates following the opening of the session of the General Assembly. They provide opportunities to pursue our complementary agendas for people, the planet and prosperity. We are proud of our robust and constructive relations with ASEAN’s dialogue partners: Australia, Canada, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Korea, the United States and the European Union, as well as with our sectoral dialogue partners and development partners. ASEAN also continues to play a central role in platforms that have contributed to regional peace and stability, such as the ASEAN Plus Three, the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus. We are equally proud of ASEAN’s engagement with other regional groups such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Pacific Alliance, the Southern Common Market and other regional organizations, in the pursuit of common aspirations for our peoples. We continue to see Member States’ growing interest in enhancing cooperation with ASEAN through their designation of more than 80 ambassadors to ASEAN in Jakarta. We look forward to developing friendly relations and mutually beneficial ties with other States Members of the United Nations, in accordance with the ASEAN Charter. All of this highlights ASEAN’s firm belief that regional organizations and the United Nations have unique and complementary capacities for addressing key issues for the common good. The draft resolution therefore not only commemorates 50 years of ASEAN but also celebrates 50 years of robust partnerships, pioneering initiatives and the power of possibility through constructive engagement with all of the States Members of the United Nations to achieve our collective goals of inclusive growth and sustained peace. On behalf of the ASEAN member States, 1 wish to take this opportunity to convey our profound appreciation to all the sponsors of the draft resolution, as well as our dialogue partners and all Member States, for their continued support and constructive engagement with ASEAN. I now humbly request that all Member States adopt draft resolution A/71/L.76 by consensus.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/71/L.76, entitled “Commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations”. I now give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution, and in addition to those delegations listed in document A/71/L.76, the following countries have also become sponsors of the draft resolution: Albania, Argentina, Belarus, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jordan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Palau, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkey, the United Republic of Tanzania, the United States of America and Uruguay.

The General Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item (r) of agenda item 126.