The Ministers of the countries belonging to the Uniting for Consensus Group held a meeting in New York today to assess the current situation of the Inter-Governmental Negotiations on UN Security Council reform.
The eleventh negotiating session and other international events which took place during the 69th UNGA, such as the Senior Officials meeting hosted in Rome on 21-22 May, confirmed the existence of relevant areas of convergence but also the persistence of different views among Member States on some key aspects of the reform.
UfC believes that the overall objective of reform is that of enhancing the Security Council’s representativeness, transparency, effectiveness and accountability.
UfC countries reiterate that the creation of new permanent seats would hinder the achievement of such important goals, and would not be in line with the overall interests of the membership.
UfC renews therefore the appeal to all Member States of the UN to carefully examine the proposal flagged in 2014, based on the creation of long-term non-permanent seats, with the possibility of an immediate re-election. UfC believes that this formula could offer the basis for a fair and equitable compromise solution, able to satisfy also the aspirations of those countries who wish to serve in the Council for longer periods of time, in the light of their growing international commitment.
UfC Ministers reaffirmed that Negotiations are to remain state-driven, inclusive, comprehensive, and based on all five pillars of the reform. They also renewed the appeal to all Member States to be ready to engage in a more flexible and constructive way in the upcoming phases of the negotiating process.
UfC is firmly convinced that divisive and non-consensual and less democratic initiatives will complicate the reform process even further.
SC reform is necessary, urgent and of paramount importance. It necessarily requires, therefore, the consensus of an overwhelming and cross-cutting majority of the membership, in the interests of the Organisation and all its Member States.
UfC countries reaffirm their full commitment to continuing to engage in constructive dialogue with the new President of the General Assembly, all Member States and different negotiating Groups, for the sake of seeking a proper and fair compromise solution, able to enhance mutual understanding and promoting a positive outcome to the reform process of the Security Council.
