Mr. President,
On behalf of the Uniting for Consensus group, I wish to thank you for your leadership during the 70th General Assembly and for the transparent and inclusive manner in which you discharged your duties.
Similarly, we thank the IGN Chair, Ambassador Lucas, for the transparent, collegial and inclusive manner in which she performed her task. The constructive ambience during this IGN Session enabled all delegations to engage in frank and substantive discussions on all key issues of reform.
The oral decision we have adopted today remains a technical rollover. The UfC supported this oral decision, as we firmly believe that its prime purpose is to pave way for continuing discussions during the 71st session of the General Assembly on Security Council reform, in the broadest and most consensual manner.
Mr. President,
Today the membership has provided a mandate to continue the IGN process in informal plenary meetings of the General Assembly during the 71st session, as mandated by all previous decisions of the General Assembly on this agenda item.
The decision conforms with the following points:
The IGN on Security Council reform is a membership driven process, based on positions and proposals of all Member States, submitted throughout this process; All sessions of the IGN have made important contributions to the reform process, and must be given due consideration when we resume our work;
Our collective goal in the IGN, as mentioned in Decision 62/557, is a comprehensive reform of the Security Council with “a solution that can garner the widest possible political acceptance by Member States”;
The IGN Chair’s “elements of convergence” on two key issues of reform reflect her understanding of the positions and proposals of Member States. While Member States, including the UfC group, had observations on this initiative, we note that no delegation rejected its substantive elements. It can, therefore, be useful in informing our future work, as we strive for further progress. In this regard, the UfC will reiterate that identifying broad convergences among Member States, in particular on the principles and criteria of reform, exemplifies the consensual path needed to achieve concrete results. And for the key issues and areas where divergences persist; we call for flexibility and compromise to achieve convergence;
We note the reference to the document dated 31 July 2015, together with its annex. On this, UfC’s position was conveyed in its statement of 14 September 2015.
Mr. President,
The UfC is ready to continue engaging constructively in future negotiations on the reform of the Security Council. We are convinced that flexibility and compromise on the part of all delegations can lead the General Assembly to consensual and sustainable reform of the Security Council. Towards this end, we assure you of our full cooperation.
Thank you, Mr. President.
