Permanent Representative of Japan
November 20, 1998
Meeting of the General Assembly on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters
Mr. President,
Since this is the first opportunity for me to address the General Assembly, I would like to begin by paying tribute to you, Mr. President, for the far-sighted manner in which you have been guiding the work of this august body. I deem it an honor and a privilege to work with you on the many important issues before the General Assembly.
I am also pleased on this occasion to express the gratitude of my delegation to your predecessor, HE Mr. Udovenko, who also served as Chairman of the Open-ended Working Group, and to its two Co-Vice Chairmen, Ambassadors Jayanama and Breitenstein. Thanks to their wise and patient leadership, and their dedication to our common goal of Security Council reform, the Working Group maintained crucial momentum throughout the course of its work last year.
Mr. President,
As we continue our efforts, we must always remind ourselves that our goal in reforming the Security Council is to enhance its legitimacy and effectiveness as the primary organ responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. This must be done by expanding its membership to render it more representative of the present day international situation and by improving its working methods.
Security Council reform is the common objective of all the members of the United Nations. Thus, as I listened to the previous speakers, I was encouraged by the strength of their commitment to that objective. It is now incumbent upon us to redouble our joint efforts to reach agreement on a package of reforms.
Mr. President,
Member States have expended a great deal of time, energy and thought to the issue since 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 was established five years ago. All the major points have been thoroughly discussed. A convergence of views has been achieved on many issues, and the issues on which agreement remains to be reached have been identified.
What is important now is that we muster the will to overcome the remaining differences so that we can move the process forward.
As Japan's Prime Minister, Mr. Keizo Obuchi, stressed in his statement in this hall last September, we should "be able to agree on
a package that responds to the interests of the entire international community and to the legitimate concerns of the majority of countries."
Mr. President,
In an effort to help focus our discussions, I would like to state Japan's position on the following three issues.
First, on the future structure of the Security Council.
It is clear that a very large majority of Member States agree that Security Council reform should include an increase in both categories of membership, permanent and non-permanent. The Government of Japan also considers that an increase in the permanent membership should be realized through the inclusion of both developed and developing countries, and that the methodology for selecting new permanent members from among developing countries should be left to the respective regions to determine. At the same time, in view of the dramatically expanded membership of the United Nations as a whole, the addition of an appropriate number of non-permanent seats is necessary in order to make the Security Council truly representative of the international community as a whole. Japan believes that equitable representation could be achieved and effectiveness in its work maintained by expanding its membership to twenty-four--that is, ten permanent and fourteen non-permanent members.
The second major issue in Security Council reform concerns the veto.
This is a complex and highly sensitive issue which requires very careful consideration. Therefore it is advisable for us to address this issue at the stage of formulating a final package of reforms. It is also advisable, given the delicate nature of the veto issue and its fundamental importance to Council reform, that we ask a high-level working group to consider the issue and come up with recommendations.
Let me hasten to add that this approach should by no means be interpreted as a sidestepping of the issue. Rather, we believe that by taking this approach we can avoid the danger that an impasse on the veto question might prevent progress on the other aspects of reform.
Third, Japan believes that any package of Security Council reforms must include measures to improve the working methods of the Council and the transparency of its decision-making process in particular. As we have always stated, Japan regards this aspect of reform to be of just as great importance as other aspects.
Mr. President,
Our task in the next round of the Open-ended Working Group is to further advance our negotiations with a view to working out a final package of reforms. In this process, each of us must summon the courage to take a flexible attitude and demonstrate a willingness to reach agreement on the outstanding issues. Only then can we achieve our common goal, which is to reform the Security Council.
In this context, I would like to refer to draft resolution L.16, which has been introduced and subsequently revised by the Permanent Representative of Egypt on behalf of its co-sponsors. There are three points I wish to make.
First, with regard to the so-called framework draft resolution, to which some members have referred and which L.16 seems intended to preempt, I just want to draw your attention to the fact that there is no such resolution. Nor do we intend to present such a resolution without prior consultations with Member States.
Second, as many speakers have already pointed out, L.16 has profound legal implications. According to Article 18 of the Charter, General Assembly resolutions are adopted either by a simple majority or, in the case of important issues, by a two thirds majority of members present and voting. The majority mentioned in Article 108 applies to Charter amendments only. L.16, however, in effect entails amending the Charter through a voting procedure that is not provided for in the Charter.
Third, I share the concern that has already been expressed by a number of my colleagues that, should L.16 be put to a vote at this time, it could result in an unnecessary confrontation among us. Indeed, a considerable number of countries have already stressed the need for further consultations so as to preserve consensus.
Japan therefore welcomes your statement at this morning's session, Mr. President, that you will hold consultations following the conclusion of the general debate on the present item, with a view to facilitating negotiations to find a mutually acceptable solution to the matter.
I wish to emphasize that the amendment to L.16, which was introduced by the Permanent Representative of Belgium and which we are co-sponsoring, is an attempt to make it clear that, as the Charter clearly stipulates, Charter amendment can be effected only through the procedure laid out under Article 108.
Mr. President,
Turning our attention to the work of the Working Group next year, I would like to suggest that it might be useful if the various highly motivated and interested regional and other groupings of countries would consult with one another and explore points on which compromise might be possible. Ideally, they would come up with concrete proposals which would provide a basis for negotiations on a package of reforms. My delegation is eager to join any and all such consultations that may be held.
Mr. President,
As we continue our work, it may be well to ask ourselves: Are we really willing to face the challenges of the twenty-first century with a Council whose composition was determined more than fifty years ago, and revised only once, thirty years ago? Is it not time that we reconstitute the Council in order to enhance its legitimacy and effectiveness so that it can better fulfill its purpose of maintaining world peace and security in the twenty-first century? The answers to these questions, I believe, are obvious, and I hope everyone will bear them in mind as we resume our efforts in the Working Group next year.
Thank you, Mr. President.
