Annex XXI
Letter dated 27 January 1998 from the Permanent Representative of Bahrain in his capacity as Chairman of the Group of Arab States for the month of January 1998 addressed to the President of the General Assembly
In my capacity as Chairman of the Group of Arab States for January 1998, I have the honour to address you in your capacity as Chairman of the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council.
On 12 December 1997 the Chairman of the Group of Arab States for that month addressed a letter to the Chairman of the Group of Asian States for the same month enclosing a four-point working paper as a contribution from the Arab States members of the Group of Asian States to that Group's endeavours on the question of Security Council reform. I have the honour to enclose herewith a copy of the working paper.
I should like to bring to your attention the fact that the points which appear in the working paper are the result of intensive meetings held by the Group of Arab States and represent the position of both States members of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and Arab Ministers for Foreign Affairs.
I should be grateful if you would have the present letter and its appendix circulated to the States members of the Working Group, since Arab delegates will raise this issue during the deliberations of that Group.
(Signed) Jassim Buallay
Ambassador
Permanent Representative
Chairman of the Group of Arab States
Appendix
1. The composition of the Security Council should be democratized to reflect the increase in the number of States Members of the United Nations.
2. The membership of the Security Council should be expanded to at least 26.
3. In the case of an increase in the permanent membership of the Security Council, Asia should be allocated two permanent seats. These two seats will be allotted to countries by a decision of the Group of Asian States itself in accordance with a system of rotation, the modalities of which will be discussed in the context of a working group to be established for that purpose.
4. New permanent members should be granted the same prerogatives and powers as current permanent members. Ultimately, the permanent members should also be nominated by their respective regions and elected by the General Assembly. Such periodic elections of permanent members of the Security Council will, in the final analysis, ensure that the decisions of the Council are less subject to the strictly national interests of its various members.
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