Madame President,
On behalf of the Uniting for Consensus group, I would like to begin by expressing our sincere thanks for your leadership throughout the Security Council reform process during the 80th session.
Furthermore, we wish to express our continued gratitude to the Co-Chairs of the intergovernmental negotiations (IGN), Ambassador Albanai and Ambassador Gregoire Van Haaren, for their dedicated leadership throughout this year’s cycle. Their guidance has enabled Member States to engage in productive and focused discussions on the five clusters and their interconnections, as outlined in General Assembly decision 62/557.
This session marked positive forward movement in the process, including effective structured dialogues on concrete proposals for Security Council reform.
The Co-Chairs’ update of the Elements Paper on Convergences and Divergences provides a useful reflection of the discussions held during this IGN session, bearing in mind, of course, that said document was transmitted to the Member States under their own prerogative and reflects their understanding of the process.
As a group advocating for a comprehensive reform, Uniting for Consensus has consistently participated in this process with a proactive, flexible and constructive mindset, fostering open and inclusive dialogue with all delegations and negotiating groups.
The negotiation process on Security Council reform remains ongoing, and we look forward to its continuation during the upcoming 81st session of the General Assembly. We believe the shared objective of all Member States should be to build consensus for a credible, comprehensive and effective Security Council reform within the IGN framework, in accordance with General Assembly decision 62/557 and Resolution 53/30. Our common goal should be to work towards a more accountable, representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, and democratic Security Council, capable of delivering on its mandate to maintain international peace and security – which is critically needed in today’s complex global environment.
Madame President,
In this spirit, the Uniting for Consensus group supports your oral draft decision, which will facilitate a smooth transition of these crucial negotiations into the 81th session of the General Assembly.
Security Council reform is a process driven by Member States. We look forward to continued fruitful and productive discussions in the IGN, as the only agreed and accepted platform where divergences on the issues within the five clusters of reform can be further reduced, the structured dialogue on proposed models of reform advanced, and ultimately – in the spirit of genuine flexibility by all sides – where consensus can be reached on a reformed Council that better corresponds to the interests of all Member States and is truly representative of the world of the 21st century.
Thank you.
